The Department of Education has confirmed that they are engaging with the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and other stakeholders regarding issues that the union raised recently.
According to Mr Jasper Zwane, spokesman of the department, they are committed in ensuring that the misunderstandings that were there are cleared.
“We believe in having a healthy relationship with all our stakeholders, that is why were are engaging with them,” Mr Zwane said.
Unhappy Sadtu members were seen picketing outside the Lekwa Circuit Offices for an hour or two for a week before the schools closed for the September holidays.
According to them, the department was making decisions that will have a negative impact on the education system in the near future.
They said the department does not fill vacant positions, instead they abolish them.
The Sadtu members claimed that foreign teachers and temporary teachers will be without jobs because the department decided that they must stop working at the end of the year.
According to them, the vacant positions will not be filled and they want the department to review its decision, saying it will create a strain on the system.
They also said the quality of education will be compromised with less teachers.
The teachers are also concerned about university students studying teaching who might not be employed. According to them, this does not only affect teachers, but other department employees as well.
They claimed that employees in circuit offices are deployed from one office to another when there are vacant positions.
“However, the vacancies do not get advertised,” the Sadtu members said.
They also said if the situation does not improve, they will be forced to take drastic measures.
According to the union, they submitted a memorandum with a list of their demands to the legislature during a provincial march on 29 September.
Ms Regina Mhaule, MEC of the department, was given seven days to respond and the deadline was on 10 October.
The union decided to suspend all picketing awaiting Ms Mhaule’s response.
The Sadtu Standerton branch has confirmed that they have not received any response thus far.
