SADTU,+NEC+decisions,+Madisha+nominated+for+COSATU+Presidency

SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS UNION (SADTU)
=PRESS RELEASE=


 * 3 August 2006**

The NEC (National Executive Committee) of SADTU met in Johannesburg from 1 - 2 August to address the major challenges and priorities facing the Union. The NEC brings together the national and provincial leadership of SADTU representing 230,000 members - nearly two-thirds of South African teachers. SADTU is the largest union in the public sector and the second largest union in South Africa.

"SADTU NEC resolved:


 * To donate R50,000 to SATAWU
 * To lobby SACE to improve service to members
 * To nominate Madisha for COSATU President
 * On reviewal of IQMS
 * To welcome a national teacher development strategy
 * On support for teacher unity with CTPA
 * On progress on temporary teachers
 * On problems with new FET Bill"

President Willie Madisha opened the NEC meeting with the following warning: "In recent months the media has reduced the South African revolution to two individuals - support or opposition for Mbeki or Zuma - diverting attention from the real challenges facing our people. This is leading to divisions amongst comrades and preventing progress in terms of our National Democratic Revolution. When we come to the SADTU National Congress at the end of the month we must deal with the critical educational and other challenges that face our members."

Much of the time of the NEC was devoted to preparations for SADTU's National Congress which takes place every four years. The Congress decides on policy and charts the strategic direction for the Union in the coming period. The Congress will take place under the theme:


 * "Empowering educators to reposition SADTU for peoples' education and working class power."**

The NEC resolved on the following areas:


 * SATAWU Strike - To donate R50,000 to SATAWU (South African Transport and Allied Workers Union) to assist in covering costs incurred in the recent strike of security workers. Some of South Africa's most exploited workers fought a lengthy three month strike against some of the most reactionary employers in the country.


 * South African Council for Educators - NEC resolved to lobby SACE to improve service to members. Many educators have not received their certificates of registration from SACE. As a result they have difficulty when applying for employment. SACE and the Department of Education must not allow these bureaucratic delays to prevent or delay the employment of teachers, particularly new entrants to the profession. As long as these problems remain, it should not be a condition of employment to have a SACE certificate. SADTU will raise this issue with the Minister of Education. SADTU's representatives on SACE will also be working hard to ensure that SACE delivers a quality service to the teaching profession.


 * COSATU nominations - Willy Madisha, President of SADTU and current President of COSATU, was nominated by the NEC for the position of President in the upcoming elections at the National Congress of COSATU in September 2006.


 * IQMS (Integrated Quality Management System) - there has been poor implementation of the IQMS resulting in uneven payment of pay progression between provinces. This has been raised in a meeting with the Minister of Education who will be addressing the problems raised. We await a review process from the side of the Department of Education. One of the possibilities is to look seriously at de-linking appraisal for the purposes of pay progression from teacher development.


 * FET Bill - There are serious implications for conditions of service of educators in FET colleges in terms of the new Bill. SADTU has raised the issue in the Education Labour Relations Council. Consultation meetings are to be held with stakeholders in the provinces in this regard


 * Temporary teachers - NEC was pleased to note that most provinces have now taken steps to make temporary teachers permanent. The process is still outstanding in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.


 * SADTU and CTPA to unite - The Cape Teachers Professional Association resolved at their national congress in July to adopt clear timelines for unity with SADTU. The CTPA is a long established progressive union of professional educators with approximately 10,000 members. CTPA was the first teacher organization to adopt the Freedom Charter as its guiding document.


 * Licensing and teacher development - SADTU previously rejected the notion of re-licensing of educators on the grounds that it had not been discussed with the profession, it did not address the need for teacher development and there were serious issues of the capacity of the Department to implement. At a recent meeting with the Minister of Education, SADTU's concerns were addressed. The Minister assured the Union that the issue of licensing had been wrongly taken out of context by the media and that she remained committed to teacher development to go hand in hand with systems of teacher appraisal and accountability. To this end a draft national teacher development strategy will be issued by the Minister during August. This will be in time for the SADTU congress at the end of this month. SADTU welcomes this undertaking and is eager to engage with the Minister's proposal in this respect.

CONTACTS:


 * Willy Madisha, President 082 783 2967**
 * Thulas Nxesi, General Secretary 082 782 6877**
 * Edwin Pillay, Deputy President 082 783 2969**
 * Fikile Hugo, National Negotiator 082 553 4010**
 * Shireen Pardesi, National Negotiator 082 555 2488**
 * Jon Lewis, Research & Media 082 567 5628**