Union angry as cuts come despite R1bn pay budget hike
BHISHO has slashed the number of teaching jobs by more than 1 000 next year despite the budget for salaries increasing by R1-billion. This has angered the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), which vowed that “heads will roll” in the department.
It was referring to MEC Mandla Makupula and his administration, led by acting head of department Ray Tywakadi.
Makupula announced this week that jobs would be cut from this year’s 55 796 to 54 747 next year.
He attributed this to ongoing challenges faced by his department.
He said that the move was part of efforts to deal with “inherited structural inefficiencies in the utilisation of its fiscal resources”.
The financial burden, he said, was largely due to more than 2 000 excess teachers, who needed to be moved to where they were needed, as well as retirements and resignations.
“As these inefficiencies have not yet been completely eliminated, the elevated demand for teacher posts exercises significant pressure on budgetary resources, making it impossible to address the needs for non-educator posts in schools,” Makupula said.
This pressure on the budget from the provision for teaching posts has also resulted in a skewed overall provision for the cost of employees.
In his statement, Makupula did not include the budget allocations for next year’s posts. However, Times Media has learnt that R1-billion more was allocated.
Department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said a total of R21-billion had been allocated for the salary bill.
He asked that further questions be e-mailed to him, but a response had not been received by the time of writing yesterday.
Addressing about 300 school principals at the East London International Convention Centre on Tuesday, Sadtu provincial task team chairman Thabile Kunene said: “The staff establishment made by the MEC and his employees was [made by people who] closed their eyes and ears.
“Sadtu is not accepting it and heads will roll. We will lodge a formal dispute to challenge the declaration.”
Kunene said an advertisement for critical teaching jobs released by the department to schools did not cover all vacancies available. He urged school principals to submit vacancies to their nearest Sadtu offices for assistance.
Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU) provincial secretary Barbara van der Walt said: “We at the SAOU with great concern take note of the declaration by the MEC. We hoped and pleaded for the same number of posts as this year.
“The logic of it was to stabilise education in the province.
“With 1 049 [fewer] posts, it will surely create more teachers in excess. We will again be confronted by an even larger number of teachers in excess.”
DA MPL Edmund van Vuuren also confirmed that R21-billion had been allocated for salaries next year, which represented an increase of R1-billion compared to the previous year.
“The logic behind this decision is questionable as the learner enrolment in the province increased from 1.85 million in 2014 to 1.89 million in 2015.”
Van Vuuren said there were 2 800 vacancies by the end of July this year, while 2 400 excess teachers had not been moved to where they were needed.
-Msindisi Fengu
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