The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has called off their picket after talks with the Department of Education.
This was disclosed by KwaZulu-Natal Sadtu provincial secretary, Nomarashiya Caluza, on Thursday.
The picket followed the union’s march on October 13 to highlight various issues, such as vacant teacher positions, the decentralisation of post level one appointments, the untimely appointment of substitute staff and those in senior management positions and teachers not getting paid their salary increases.
ALSO READ | Sadtu pickets across KZN
Caluza said in a media briefing on Thursday that the pickets should stop and everything should return to normal.
This follows an announcement by the department that teachers will receive 78% of the funds, which is part of their increase, from National Treasury.
She added the department also confirmed this week that it would start transferring outstanding funds to schools.
There are some schools that might not receive funds. In this case an instruction was given that the district needs to buy material to write the examinations to assist those schools.
She said Grade R teachers, who have not been getting paid, will get their salary at the end of November.
Caluza said the union will be monitoring the department’s progress.
“We were able to put together a meeting on Wednesday, where the provincial executive committee’s progress report showed that the timeframes are promising if we monitor them.”
ALSO READ | Teachers affiliated to Sadtu in KZN march to Durban City Hall
Caluza said the biggest issue for the union was not the teachers’ money but the resources which help schools to function. She added that the allocation of money to schools is the department’s job.
The picket was a war for justice in the education of pupils.