DA, unions clash over teacher strikes

DA BASIC education portfolio committee members are at loggerheads with teachers’ unions over the party’s call for certain teaching positions to be declared essential services.

The call followed an incident where two pupils fought and stabbed each other at a school in Eldorado Park.

DA shadow deputy minister of basic education Nomsa Marchesi said on that day teachers were on strike and the pupils left unsupervised.

“We have seen a lot of wildcat strikes: illegal strikes, where pupils are left by themselves.

“Pupils are entrusted to teachers and the teacher has to take responsibility for the safety of those pupils.

“We are not saying teachers should not be allowed to strike, but within the sector a small number need to be declared an essential service,” she said.

Yesterday the Essential Services Committee heard submissions from provincial Basic Education MEC Debbie Schäfer. The hearings have been held in the Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Free State are to follow.

Schäfer said: “Pupils in the Western Cape are particularly at risk as a result of the systematic under-staffing of SAPS in the province by the national government.

“The province has been allocated far fewer staff for a specialised narcotics unit than other hot-spot provinces, despite the serious risk drugrelated crimes pose to pupils.

“This environment makes it even more important that when children are at school, they have proper supervision.”

Marchesi said the DA recommended that the position of principal, deputy principal and/or head of department be declared an essential service, as well as some cleaning and cooking staff “at the committee’s discretion”.

The SA Democratic Teachers Union opposed this call. Provincial secretary Jonovan Rustin said there appeared to be no basis in fact or law for the designation of services rendered by educators and support staff as essential.

“There is no basis in law to restrict the right of educators and support staff to strike and/ or prohibit educators and support from taking part,” he said.