Johannesburg - When the wage negotiations currently under way get finalised, unions will no longer bind themselves to three-year agreements as has been the norm, but will now sign only one-year deals with employers.
Speaking at the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) national congress held in Boksburg on Thursday, Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini told the thousands of teachers and union leaders at the congress: “Prepare yourselves the salary negotiations have started. We support that you’re saying one year this time.
“We’ve given our government in the past three years the three years as an opportunity for them to fix issues that needed to be fixed at that time.
“There’s no three-year multiterm this time, so we have to work hard comrades. Go to the members and ensure that we keep our members informed as we move with this process…
“You are the ones with the power at the schools where you’re coming from,” he said.
Dlamini also called for the unity of Cosatu and Sadtu, saying if the teacher union - the biggest in the country and one of the largest unions within Cosatu - stays alive, then the trade union federation would stay alive.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga concurred, saying the education sector needed Sadtu.
“Let us be frank, the Basic Education sector needs Sadtu. However, we don’t need any type of Sadtu but a strong, vibrant and a united one.
“A weak and a divided Sadtu will sadly mark an end of a revolutionary movement that has served teachers and the education sector well for 24 years. We must collectively work towards healing and maintaining a vibrant and united Sadtu. We dare not fail,” she said.
Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande, who spoke about his department’s intervention in capacitating teachers and lecturers for the basic and higher education sectors, said the department would open teacher colleges in areas in need.
“Processes have been put in place to establish new teacher education college campuses in provinces where they are needed.
“These new campus sites will fall under the jurisdiction of selected universities and offer higher education qualifications to teachers in line with the policy on minimum requirements for teacher education qualifications.”
The Star