SADTU+Programme+of+Action+for+2007

SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS UNION (SADTU)

 * PRESS STATEMENT**

=“Teachers to take action on wages and class sizes”=

25 February 2007

NOTICE OF PRESS BRIEFING TO ANNOUNCE: //SADTU Programme of Action for 2007//

11H00 Monday 26 February SADTU, Matthew Goniwe House 49 Goud St, corner Marshall St 011-334 4830


 * //The National Executive Committee of SADTU met in Johannesburg on 23-24 February to develop the union’s programme of action for the year. The NEC resolved as follows://**

//In relation to the Alliance://


 * In preparation for the ANC Policy Conference and SACP Elective Conference SADTU will reconvene its Political Commission to develop position papers and to convene a political school for the leadership. The Political Commission will include representation from all the provinces.


 * In preparing for the COSATU CEC next week, the NEC called on COSATU to request the ANC to increase the COSATU representation at the Policy Conference to 100 (currently 10 reps invited)


 * The NEC supported the need to combat factionalism and tribalism in the labour movement, and endorsed the COSATU CEC call for unity of the leadership of the federation.


 * The NEC also debated the need to combat the cancer of patronage and corruption – which is rife at all levels of society, including within the liberation movement.


 * The NEC expressed its concern at the manner in which COSATU leaders were treated at the ANC Lekgotla, and resolved on the need for SADTU and COSATU to defend its leaders and to engage with leaders of the Alliance to this effect.

//In relation to the budget and education://


 * The increased resources provided by the education budget should, amongst others, be used to increase the salaries of the poorest paid educators including ABET educators and ECD practitioners.


 * On the Fifa World Cup – NEC agreed with COSATU that labour must be represented within the World Cup structures to protect workers against exploitation. As teachers we need to take this opportunity to raise the urgency of providing physical education and school sports. The union will be pushing for the establishment of provincial schools sports structures.


 * International Development Programmes – the NEC approved joint programmes for SADTU to work with the Botswana and Lesotho teacher unions to strengthen teacher unionism in the region.


 * Whilst acknowledging the expansion of the no fee school programme, NEC resolved to support the call for a campaign for free and compulsory education and to take appropriate protest action in agreement with the Education Alliance.


 * The crisis of some 200,000 grade 11 repeaters – who face the prospect of having to repeat on a totally new curriculum. SADTU is concerned at the lack of national leadership in regard to this crisis. For example, the proposal to shunt repeaters to ABET centres is unworkable. This is symptomatic of the slide into educational federalism.

For SADTU the main principle here is that every grade 11 repeater should be allowed to stay within the formal schooling system and should receive focused support, whether within the old or the new curriculum. The situation cries out for additional resources, including teachers, and training and support for the affected teachers. SADTU will also request a meeting with the Minister of Education to seek clarification as to what will happen to those learners currently in grade 12 on the old curriculum who fail at the end of the year.


 * Training of principals – SADTU’s national congress held last year rejected the notion of compulsory one-size fits all ACE courses for principals as a precondition for employment as a principal. NEC resolved that the union needs to ensure implementation of the resolution.

//Regarding labour issues://


 * //Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) matters://**


 * SADTU will declare a dispute with the employer in regard to their refusal to sign the current draft agreement to standardize conditions of service for ABET educators. These educators have suffered long enough.


 * Incentives and rewards – the NEC resolved to reject current proposals from the employer which unfairly link payments to learner achievement; are based on unreliable quintiles as the determinant of distributing incentives; and involve attempts to reduce teacher scores on IQMS in order to reduce costs. SADTU will draft an alternative system to reward teachers that perform well.


 * Post Provisioning Model (PPM) – SADTU has adopted an approach based on actual class size – calling for a maximum class size of 30 – more manageable and educationally effective. Meanwhile, most provinces do not advertise and fill all their posts – further contributing to large classes – in some cases over 60 learners in a class. NEC will develop a programme to mobilize structures in preparation for declaring a dispute on this matter. According to SADTU General Secretary, Thulas Nxesi: “the PPM is a major impediment to the delivery of quality education in the poor communities.”


 * ELRC levies – NEC agreed in principle to review the current levy. Any increase is subject to thorough investigation and motivation; and members need to be canvassed. ELRC must make time for this. In particular, we need to focus the ELRC on its core business in order to conserve funds.

//Current negotiations in the PSCBC (public sector)://


 * Salaries – the employer has been stalling. The unions presented their demands in October last year. The employer came with an empty offer in mid February: between 4.0% and 5.3% - less than inflation – as opposed to the union demand of 12%. “This is an insult to public service workers.” – says SADTU and COSATU President, Willie Madisha. The NEC rejects any further multi-term agreement and supports the call from the COSATU unions to reject the offer and to start mobilizing members for mass action. SADTU will use the Branch Biennial General Meetings next month to drive this process.


 * The proposed single public service and amendments to the public service act – these amount to fundamental restructuring. SADTU rejects the unilateral action taken by the employer to introduce legislation that fundamentally changes the conditions of service of public servants, eg in relation to leave management and collective bargaining. The NEC called for the process to be halted pending formal negotiations through Nedlac and the bargaining council. Also the union calls for the withdrawal of the new arbitrary and discriminatory leave management system.

//SADTU’s Programme of Action for 2007 – the SADTU leadership will announce further details at the press briefing on Monday.//


 * //SADTU is the largest union in the public service representing nearly two-thirds of teachers with a membership of 230,000, and the second largest union in the country. The NEC oversees the running of the Union between congresses and national general councils.//**

CONTACTS:

Willie Madisha, President 082 783 2967

Thobile Ntola, Deputy President 082 809 7294

Thulas Nxesi, General Secretary 082 782 6877

Don Pasquallie, Deputy General Secretary 079 492 4081

Jon Lewis, Media Officer 082 567 5628

Shireen Pardesi, National Negotiator 082 555 2488**

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