NEHAWU IS FULLY BEHIND SADTU'S STRUGGLES TO DEFEND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS

NEHAWU fully supports SATDU, our sister union, in its fight to defend collective bargaining agreements. The decision by the department of basic education to unilaterally withdraw from collective agreement 1 of 2011 that was meant to increase tariffs for markers is a dangerous attempt to undermine collective bargaining and ultimately reverse the gains of the working class. This will set a very bad precedent and will result in the erosion of worker's hard earned rights and liquidate the unions.

The ill-thought policies that attack collective bargaining and the incoherent and ambiguous messages being pursued and sent out by the department of basic education are delaying and frustrating the much needed collective efforts to extricate the education sector out of its quagmire. The unnecessary public spats amongst stakeholders over these policies and messages are diverting the attention away from departmental priorities.

The failure of the basic education leadership to mobilize and rally all stakeholders behind a common vision of the department means that we are unlikely to achieve the set goal of turning around the department. The department has been limping from one crisis to another because of poor relations amongst stakeholders.

Workers remain critical stakeholders in the education sector and without their full consultation and mobilization; the dream of improving our education outcomes in quantity and quality will never come true.

The failure to deliver textbooks on time, fill vacant posts, provide teachers and students with adequate infrastructure and support tools to teach and learn makes a mockery of our vision of building People's Education for People's Power. This will condemn the working class children to a cycle of poverty and exacerbate the existing inequalities.

This  country is in dire need of skills and literate people and we cannot afford to be squabbling amongst ourselves. The systemic and operational problems that weigh heavily on our education system require collective approach and leadership, if we are to resolve them..

Statement issued by Sizwe Pamla, NEHAWU Media Liaison Officer, April 19 2013

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