SADTU NEC MEDIA STATEMENT
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of SADTU met on 26 and 27 February 2015 and took decisions on pertinent issues affecting among others - the union, education, and the situation in the country.
The NEC took decisions on the following:
1. March to COSATU House
The National Executive Committee (NEC) strongly condemned the decision of eight COSATU affiliated unions to march to the offices of the Federation to demand the reinstatement of NUMSA. The NEC called on these affiliates to stop behaving like the opposition parties and spoilt brats but to use proper Federation channels to raise their concerns.
These unions who present themselves as champions of the constitution should know better that in terms of the very same constitution, it is only the National Congress that can hear and consider an appeal on the expulsion of NUMSA. Their call for a special national congress has been acceded by the Central Executive Council (CEC). A date has been set for the special congress and these unions are aware of that. Therefore there is no need to request for a special congress because their wishes have been met. They should rather prepare themselves for the special congress and stop their popstarism culture.
The conduct of these Unions is confusing because their decision-making structures resolved to raise their issues in the CEC. The NEC of FAWU has resolved that their leadership should participate in the CEC. However, the same leadership preaches constitutionalism to others while they suspend their members who support the decision of their NEC.
Why are they participating in the provincial structures and shunning the CEC? Is it because their owner, NUMSA is telling them what to say and what to do?
We call on the members of these unions to smell the coffee and see that this campaign is not as for a special congress but an attempt to break the ANC- led alliance and form a new federation under the leadership of the United Front. We urge members of these unions to desist from following these leaders, as their agenda is clear - to cause confusion in COSATU and provoke the CEC to expel all the 8 affiliates. We further urge the Federation not to fall into this trap of cowards who can't leave on their own but seek scapegoats.
Resorting to marches to the Federation's offices is foreign and uncharacteristic of members of the Federation. What unity do they know if they move out as the eight unions and distance them from the CEC decision they have participated in? What factionalism are they talking about when they are a faction operating without the constitution of COSATU and adhering to the faction rules as taught to them by their owner, NUMSA?
The rhetoric in their so-called DA inspired memorandum is a demonstration of little knowledge and it is dangerous. They think by being inspired by the DA to march the working class will be misled and elevate them to heroism. We reject their populist rhetoric and challenge them to come to the CEC. We also warn the leadership of COSATU to stop stooping so low by accepting DA inspired memorandum from these fame-seeking leaders. COSATU must never receive any memorandum from its affiliates because this undermines its policies.
2. Developments in the Eastern Cape
The NEC expressed deep concern at the high levels of ill discipline by small group of members and the disbanded leaders in the Eastern Cape assisted by some officials from the Department of Education in that province deliberately frustrating teachers, for instance, on payment of IQMS money. This Big Lie technique by some of these members and leaders combined with insults against NEC of SADTU are not sustainable.
The truth will always prevail. Our members are teachers and won't be misled by them. On the so-called action to the Provincial Department of Education in Bisho, the NEC resolved to distance the Union from that unlawful action. The NEC views this as an attempt to support the disbanded leaders by paralyzing the Department from rendering services to schools. It is cheap politicking by those who have no interest in the lives of the learners except their so-called leaders.
The Union has not declared any action and has not served any notice to this effect. We call upon those disbanded leaders to report to their respective schools on the 2nd March 2015. They are no longer seconded by the Union. The departmental officials manipulating the system to confuse these disbanded leaders that they are seconded for twelve months must be exposed and be dealt with. The Personnel Administrative Measures provides for the Union to appoint members for secondment and not individuals or any structure. The NEC of SADTU is the only structure empowered by the constitution to manage the affairs of this unitary Union.
3. Presidential Commission on Remuneration of Public Servants
The NEC took a decision to work with the Commission for the Remuneration of Public Servants in particular teachers. However it raised concern over the fact that the Commission was working at a snail's pace.
President Jacob Zuma announced he would establish the Commission in his state of the nation address in 2013 and it was formed in August of that year. More than 18 months after its establishment, the Commission has invited stakeholders to a meeting on the 11th of March 2015, to introduce itself and its methodology. We call on the Commission move with the necessary speed to finalize its task.
4. Current round of negotiations
While wage negotiations continue, the NEC expressed the fact that they were taking too long and hoped they would be finalized by the end of March. The NEC called on government to present a real offer intended to improve the lives of workers and not peanuts.
The NEC criticized the sharp increase in the Government Medical Aids Scheme (GEMS) at the beginning of the year without proper consultation. We will continue to demand from GEMS to resolve this as a matter of urgency.
5. Mass resignation of teachers
The NEC also raised concern over the mass resignation of teachers from the system in order to cash in on their pensions and urged both the Union and the employer to treat this as a matter of urgency and embark on joint information sharing campaigns.
Although the resignations were triggered by misinformation on the part of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF), other factors such as the economic conditions of teachers which make it difficult for teachers to access home loans, lack of support of teachers by the Department and parents and lack of discipline among learners have caused teachers to resign, the NEC noted. The NEC called on the GEPF to improve its road show campaign and add some vigor to it. The NEC has discouraged teachers and members from resigning. "While we understand financial challenges facing teachers, resigning is not a solution," the NEC noted.
6. Annual National Assessment
The NEC took a decision to reiterate the Union's Congress resolution on the Annual National Assessment (ANA) as it continues to be a challenge. The resolution states that:
• ANA should remain a systematic evaluation tool with clear time frames that would allow for prompt feedback to be given to schools before the results are publicized followed by meaningful intervention programmes.
• ANA should not be abused to label teachers and school, thereby demoralizing and deprofessionalising them.
• ANA should be reviewed as an annual assessment as of 2015, and be substituted by a three-year cycle assessment.
We will continue to engage the department and other stakeholders to lobby for the review of ANA
7. ICT integration in the classroom
The NEC welcomed the new paradigm of integrating ICT tools in modern education. It called on the department to develop levels of competency of teachers to assist them to adopt e-tools in the classroom. The NEC further called for additional security measures at schools as criminals were identifying schools to steal these tools.
8. Closing of schools during community protests
The NEC respects the right of communities to protest to raise their dissatisfaction. The NEC noted that the genuine demands of communities get undermined by violence, hooliganism, closure and burning of schools and other amenities. We appeal to all communities to refrain from using schools to advance whatever course. We urge communities not to intimidate and victimize learners and teachers but to keep the schools opened because even in war zone regions education is protected. What the communities are doing by closing or even burning schools makes Verwoerd very happy in his grave.
9. Racism at schools
The NEC finds it extremely regrettable that to this day and age there are some who perceive their race as inherently superior to others. The NEC condemns any form of racism at schools. Our schools should be declared racism free zone. We call on the harshest sanction for any found guilty of the demon of racism.
Other decisions taken at the NEC include the following:
• SADTU intend issuing a Section 77 notice to Nedlac to protest on the following socio-economic issues i.e. review of the post provisioning model, improve conditions for Adult Education and Training (AET) and Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners. The Union will hold a form of action nationally in March. This will be followed similar action in the provinces in the month of April 2015. This is as a result of the refusal - for many years - of the Department of Education to bargain and reach agreement at the level of the ELRC.
• On Saturday, 7 March 2015 SADTU will celebrate International Women's Day also called International Working Women's Day at Letlhabile Stadium in Litlhabile, Brits in the North West Province. The day will also serve to officially launch SADTU's National Sports Festival that will take place in the latter part of the year. The President of the ANC Women's League Angie Motshekga has been invited to the celebrations while the NEC will play soccer and netball against the PEC of North West. Former PSL players who are SADTU members will play against a North West team as the main match of the day.
The NEC also took note of the sterling work done by the Union's Institute to train teachers this year. In February, a total of 360 principals, deputy principals and HOD's in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and North West provinces received training in Instructional Leadership, Governance and Policy on Professional Learning Communities as part of the Institute's School Management Team (SMT) training programme.
The Institute has in January and February trained 4 200 teachers in Bohlabela District in Mathematics and English First Additional Language, retrained 160 Foundation Phase lead teachers in Mathematics and English First Additional Language, trained Principals in the establishment Professional Learning Communities, Instructional Leadership and Governance and Policy.
Statement issued by the SADTU NEC, March 1 2015
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