WC Education appeals for teachers to reconsider strike threat

Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier has urged teacher unions to give them support in their fight against budget cuts.

Teacher union SADTU is threatening a strike after the department announced that it will not renew contract teacher posts next year after a shortfall of nearly 40 percent on its allocated budget.

Over 2 400 contract posts are on the line.

Maynier says the threat of strike action is not resolving the financial shortfalls.

“Striking will not change the fact that we are being shortchanged by government which only provided 64 percent of the cost of the wage agreement negotiated nationally with unions, leaving the province to fund the remaining 36%. Even if we cut all the programs, the teacher unions have suggested we do, we will not come anywhere close to dealing with the massive budget shortfall. We have not taken the decision to reduce the teaching posts lightly and we are doing everything we can to fight for our teachers and we hope the unions will choose to fight alongside us, not against us.”