SADTU KZN provincial secretary, Nomarashiya Caluza said principals are forced to run schools out of their own pockets as the KZN Department of Education fails to hear their demands.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has called for members of the union to stage a protest march throughout the province because they are unhappy with the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Education’s response to their requests.
The picketing planned for Monday November 6.
Many schools in the province have still not got their annual budget allocations from the KZN Department of Education. The department has not paid the 1.5% wage increase agreed upon already. Some teachers say the department is in a shambles, with teachers having to deal with up to 80 pupils in a class.
Some principals, the union said, are running schools from their own pockets. Vacancies are not being filled and not all schools are operating with a full complement of the staff. The also said teachers were being attacked at schools by armed robbers demanding money.
Some schools have no electricity despite the principals and the union trying desperately to resolve this.
KZN SADTU provincial secretary, Nomarashiya Caluza, gave their commitment that external matric exams would not be affected by the picketing.
“School principals are asking how we are expected to write exams when we don't have ink for papers? Principals are using their own money to get the necessities the school needs. The internal exams will only be written when the department has honoured its financial obligations to schools and employees.” said Ms Caluza.
About 25 000 SADTU members marched on October 13 to highlight the grievances and demands, which included the payment of financial allocations to schools, payment of pay progression, adjustment of the grade R stipend and their absorption, grading of schools, decentralisation of post level one appointments, timely appointment of substitutes and senior management posts.
Ms Caluza said they would be urging their members to engage in a “work to rule” wherein they don’t engage themselves in work-related matters outside the seven hours period. She added that MEC Mbali Frazer and head of department Nkosinathi Ngcobo were aware of the grievances raised in the memorandum.
“Both Frazer and Ngcobo also gave an explanation on why they have not been doing the right thing. For us the response was just compliance. The MEC of finance raised the issue of budget cuts and cash blocking,” said Ms Caluza.
“After numerous engagements with the union and the department we decided to picket. Sadly, there was no resolution on the issues that SADTU raised. This meant deteriorating support for schools. Principals are being undermined and schools have been left without resources,” she said.
Ms Caluza said most principals are being harassed by service providers who have not been paid for their services.
The KZN Department of Education did not respond to questions at the time of going to press.