Western Cape teaching jobs: Unions celebrate contract 'victory'
The Western Cape Education Department says it will continue to convert contract teaching jobs to permanent posts for qualifying staff.
Picture: © teka77/123rf.com
Clarence Ford speaks to Bronagh Hammond (Western Cape Education Department) and Faez Tassiem (National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa).
Listen below.
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The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has called the announcement of an agreement between various teaching unions and the Department a 'PR exercise' on the part of the unions.
The WCED, South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SANDTU) and the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) reached a consensus at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).
Essentially the agreement will see the Department converting contract teaching jobs to permanent posts for certain staff.
The unions say it's a victory for teachers, but the WCED's Bronagh Hammond says it's nothing new.
"We are doing what the collective agreement in 2018 says... We are still continuing to convert posts from contract to permanent...There's nothing new about this..."
- Bronagh Hammond, Spokesperson - WCED
NAPTOSA executive officer Faez Tassiem agrees that some contracts have been converted, but says this particular dispute was based on some 800 contracts that were not.
"This is about our members' need for stabilty. Contract teachers are not good for any Deparment."
- Faez Tassiem, Executive Officer - NAPTOSA
The news comes after it was announced last month that, due to a substantial budget shortfall, 2,407 teaching positions will be cut in the Western Cape starting 1 January 2025.
Hammond also wants to clarify what this means in practical terms.
"Permanent teachers are not being fired, they are not being retrenched... It's not 2,400 teachers who will lose their jobs, it's a post-reduction of 2,400 teachers in the system."
- Bronagh Hammond, Spokesperson - WCED
"Unfortunatley, it will mean some excess teachers will be required to move to other schools... and in some cases not being renewed."
- Bronagh Hammond, Spokesperson - WCED
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