The deputy president of the National Teachers’ Union, Allen Thompson, has confirmed that thousands of Grade R teachers in KwaZulu-Natal have threatened to stay away from work after the KZN Department of Education failed to adjust their salaries.
NATU had called upon all the provincial departments of education to ensure the teachers receive increments before the end of November to avoid disruptions, he said.
“It has come to the attention of NATU that when public servants received their 2015/2016 salary increments (7.5%) with effect from April 1 this year, the majority of Grade R educators throughout the country did not receive salary adjustments.
“For example, about 5 200 Grade R teachers in KwaZulu-Natal did not receive this salary adjustment. Subsequent, the Grade R educators themselves have approached NATU to take action on their behalf,” said Thompson at a media briefing.
He said that thus far all of their attempts at drawing the attention of Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni and head of department Nkosinathi Sishi had drawn a blank.
Thompson said NATU enjoyed a strong membership and was confidently speaking for almost 90% of Grade R teachers employed by the national Department of Basic Education, and that these teachers had vowed to down tools before schools closed this year.
“This implies that at the start of the 2016 academic year there will be no Grade R educators in class, until such time that they have been given clear conditions of employment with well stipulated benefits.”
He continued: “NATU will not fold its arms while its members are destined to have a black Christmas and while inflation erodes the little money these committed educators receive due to an uncaring, inconsiderate and insensitive employer intransigently taking advantage of dedicated, humble, respectful and selfless Grade R educators.”
Thompson said NATU viewed this as direct exploitation, which was extremely bad when it was done by a democratically-elected government that claimed to represent the best interests of the poor and vulnerable in society.
“NATU is therefore making a call to the Department of Basic Education to intervene and ensure that all Grade R educators are under the same conditions of employment as other educators and enjoy the same benefits as all other educators.
“This amounts to unfair treatment, as these educators do the same amount and type of work that all other teachers of other school grades do. They start work at the same time and knock off at the same time as other teachers.”
He said they also carried out the same tasks of educating the children as other teachers.
“Therefore, NATU finds no reason why they should be treated differently, or discriminated against so unfairly. Certainly, they do not deserve to be remunerated differently.”
Depending on their qualifications, Grade R teachers are paid as little as R5 500 a month. “(They get) no extra benefits such as pension, medical aid, leave or bonus. Even when they improve their qualifications, no recognition of this is made.”
Thompson added that Grade R teachers in KZN were paid far less that those in other provinces such as the Western Cape and Gauteng, who received a minimum of R7 000 per month.
“This means that government as the employer is not different from the dreaded labour brokers. If these educators are not treated fairly, it means that their services are not valued.
Meanwhile, the provincial secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers Union, Nomarashiya Caluza said: “We have negotiated with our employer and the salary will go up to R6000. The department is processing the payment.”
She said Grade R teachers were being exploited and that foundation phase education must be prioritised.
The spokesman for the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Muzi Mahlambi, said: “The department is ever committed to improve the working conditions of all its employees, Grade R practitioners being part. We are engaged in talks as to how to broadly improve their working conditions including their remuneration.”
He declined to comment about the R500 increase that Caluza mentioned.