SADTU NEC MEET
18 MAY 2014
SADTU NEC holds a successful meeting.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) met - for the first time after the May 7 General elections - at the Union's headquarters Matthew Goniwe House from the 15th until 16th of May 2014. The NEC took several decisions on pertinent issues involving among others, the general elections, abducted school girls in Nigeria, posts-for-cash-scams reports, the tragic loss of five learners in an accident in the KwaZulu Natal midlands and many more.
MATRIC SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS
The NEC meets just after the release of the results of the matric supplementary exams in April 2014. We congratulate all the learners who took advantage of this second opportunity. We wish them well in their future endeavors. We thank the teachers who went out of their way to support these learners in their preparations for exams.
We continue making the call to all institutions of higher learning to keep their doors open for these learners. We also urge the learners to look at FET colleges as optional to further their studies. NSFAS and other financial aid institutions, including the private sector should assist by availing the necessary financial assistance to all these learners and in particular to those from the working class communities. The NEC further urged all SETA's to avail the relevant information at local municipalities, schools and other areas so that these learners can access it
GENERAL ELECTIONS
The NEC congratulated the ANC for the decisive victory in the elections. We are satisfied by the fact that education remains one of the key priorities of the ANC. We urge our new ANC-led government to use the overwhelming confidence from the South African citizenry to take South Africa forward.
We must emphasize that there can be no substitute for adequate service delivery.
We are not going to suddenly switch on to a permanent honeymoon mode, we will unapologetically hold the ruling ANC accountable to all the education related commitments such as those related to Early Childhood Development, our conditions of service, education infrastructure, access to higher education etc. Our message is clear, we want to see the manifesto being implemented, and we want to see South Africa move forward!!!
ACCIDENT IN KZN
The NEC expressed its deepest condolences to the families of five children who died when the bakkie that was transporting them from school, plunged into a sewerage dam in Mooi River, KwaZulu Natal Midlands.
The NEC called for stern action to be taken against those who will be found to be at fault for this tragic loss of life. It is unacceptable that whilst the government spends on scholar transport in rural areas, these learners had to find themselves at the back of a bakkie instead of an appropriate mode of transport.
RELEASE OF THE GIRLS IN NIGERIA
The NEC also added its voice to those that have demanded the release of Nigerian girls who were abducted from their school by extremist organization Boko Haram a month ago. .
This cruel act has shown how vulnerable children are in schools not only in Nigeria but also all over the world. THE NEC therefore called on government to provide proper security to schools in South Africa.
JOBS-FOR-CASH-SCAM REPORTS
The NEC distanced the union from the matter. The union has no powers to hire people and has never taken a resolution at any level of the organization sanctioning such an act.
"We are not in a position to sell what does not belong to us. The Union has never received a cent from the proceeds of this scam. It is however humanly impossible to micro-manage what every one of the 257 000 members do in the union's name. We find it regrettable therefore that the media houses have had a field day elevated such criminal acts to a union position, " the NEC stated.
The NEC also sent a strong message to those that commit such acts not to do so in SADTU's name. It further called upon all those members and non-members who may have been exposed to such activities to come forward and report these to the relevant authorities. SADTU has already referred the matter to the ELRC and SACE for investigation.
PREPARING FOR NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS
The NEC noted that the resolution on salaries and conditions of service for public servants has come to end this year. We are thus preparing ourselves for the next round of negotiations, as we will be receiving mandates from members.
The union wants to continue to bargaining on all outstanding issues, prioritizing the 0,5 % parity issue, professionalization and improving conditions of service for both Adult Education and Training (AET) and Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners.
TRADE UNIONS AND THE REVOLUTION
A trade union is not a revolutionary party. The adventures in this regard have weakened the unity of COSATU and produced nothing of value, the NEC stated.
The murderous AMCU union may be about to lose a strike because of its revolutionary pretentions, whereby it thought that bargaining does not mean bargaining, but only force.
The question that we must ask ourselves as we deal with the AMCU phenomenon is what kind of animal is it? What are the chances that an organization with their kind of a modus operandi can collapse the economy to the detriment of the whole? Genuine demands of workers are exploited to mislead and abuse workers with serious risks to the trade union movement and members.
The killing of members and shop stewards of our sister union NUM can't go on forever. We call on the law enforcement agencies to apply the law when there are clear signs of criminality.
ON CURRICULUM
The union will engage the ANC on the issue of the development of our indigenous languages and their promotion as languages of instruction at our schools.
The NEC is angry at the negative campaign by DA during the elections campaign for misappropriating our history and our struggle heroes and heroines. We assert that Mandela was produced and belongs to the ANC. He is therefor not for sale. We will therefor engage the ANC and the Alliance on making the teaching of South African history compulsory at our schools least we have the DA distorting it and misleading our children. There can be no future without the knowledge and appreciation of the past.
The propaganda by the DA trying to almost erase the heinous period of oppression for many years preceded by colonialism that dispossessed the black majority can't be forgotten.
INTERNAL CHALLENGES
The NEC once again register its disappointment with the behavior of some of our structures and members from particularly certain sections of the Eastern Cape and a few from North West, Free State & Limpopo who continue to advocate for the suspension of the constitution to serve their preferred leaders.
We were appalled by their recent failed illegal march to the National Office despite the fact that disciplinary processes against Cde Ntola as dictated by the constitution are nearing their logical conclusion.
We take serious exception on how these members have shown their will to go as far as paralyzing the National Office and causing staff members to work under constant fear of their impending invasion of the building.
As far as we are concerned, such acts are informed by cowardice and hooliganism that we want to condemn in the strongest terms possible. We want to let these members and their handlers know that we will do everything in our power to defend the union, its constitution and indeed property. When the right time comes, we will act and we will do so decisively because our patience is not unlimited. No amount of sloganeering will deter us from doing what we believe is right and that is to defend SADTU!
No one is above the constitution of the Union.
Statement issued by SADTU, May 18 2014
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