Unions threaten to strike over plans to cut teaching posts 

A number of trade unions representing teachers have threatened to down tools if the Western Cape Education Department proceeds with its plan to cut more than 2000 teaching posts.

The department says this is due to a budget shortfall which it has attributed to national government’s 33% under-funding.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and other Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliated unions have called on the provincial department not to implement its plan.

Sadtu Provincial Secretary, Sibongile Kwazi says, “Already, we have overcrowded classrooms in the province, meaning that if so many posts are lost, we’ll be trying to control an untenable situation of overflowing classrooms. That will have an implication on the quality of teaching and learning within the schools in the working class areas of the Western Cape.”

Multi-stakeholder meeting

National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) says it’s planning to host a multi-stakeholder meeting aimed at addressing National Treasury’s announcement that it will cut the provincial Education Departments’ budgets.

Government has agreed to a 7.5% wage increase for teachers and other public servants for 2023-2024 financial year.

However, it has not increased provincial budgets.

Naptosa Executive Eirector, Basil Manuel says, “Absolutely, there has already been a cut to the education budget and we know this is not the first time this has happened. Before, it happened because parastatals have been bailed out. This is affecting all provinces across the country where none of the provinces are telling a good story.”

Related video | Naptosa says uproar is brewing as cuts to teaching posts loom in the Western Cape: