No work, no pay for striking teachers, warns govt

The no-work-no-pay policy will apply to all teachers at Gauteng public schools this week when members of South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) are expected to go on a national strike.

The national socio-economic strike against poor working conditions for public service employees and those in the private sector will kick off on Wednesday with participants instructed to stay at home and not take to the streets.

The strike will be joined by the South African Federation of Trade Unions, while the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa will not be taking part.

According to Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona, no instruction has been given to any public school principal to close operations this week during the strike.

“Schools will use their discretion. The principal is in power to use their discretion in  making a decision on whether it will be viable for pupils to be at school this week,” he said.

According to a parent, the Johannesburg School of Austism informed parents on Tuesday that most teachers would be part of the strike, advising that parents should keep their children at home if they were able to do so.

In their International Teachers Day message on Monday, Sadtu pledged their support for the strike by trade union federation Cosatu. It said government’s failure to pay teachers’ salary increases which were due to them since April was a clear demonstration of how uncaring the government was as an employer.

“That is why Sadtu supports the one-day strike called by Cosatu on Wednesday in defence of, among others, collective bargaining, against corruption, rising unemployment and gender-based violence.”

Simnikiweh@citizen.co.za

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