Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Grahamstown secretary Sizakele Makabe, South Africa Democratic Teachers' Union's (Sadtu) Grahamstown secretary Likhaya Mfecane and chairperson of the Joint Management Committee (JMC) Thembile Matiwane visited Grocott’s Mail on Wednesday afternoon to give a press briefing on the national strike.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Grahamstown secretary Sizakele Makabe, South Africa Democratic Teachers' Union's (Sadtu) Grahamstown secretary Likhaya Mfecane and chairperson of the Joint Management Committee (JMC) Thembile Matiwane visited Grocott’s Mail on Wednesday afternoon to give a press briefing on the national strike.
“We encourage parents to help us teachers to encourage learners to return to school,”said Mfecane, who is a teacher himself.
This follows on the unions and the government reaching stalemate, resulting in the strike being suspended for 21 days while the government decides to accept or reject a raise of 7.5% and R800 housing allowance.
Matiwane made it clear that the strike has been suspended, not called off, as during the 21 days, negotiations at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) are still ongoing and the unions are still consulting with their members.
If no agreement is reached, the strike will resume. “Our leaders are still consulting with their PSCBC members, if the PSCBC members are not satisfied with what the government is offering them it is possible that they can go back on strike,” said Matiwane.
Makabe urged all members who belong to Cosatu affiliated unions to return to work. According to Makabe some of the trade unions that fall under the Cosatu banner are the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW), Sadtu, National, Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), South African medical association (Sama) and Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa).
When the bosses were asked why a Grocott’s Mail reporter had been prevented from reporting on a picket at Victoria Girls’ High School, Matiwane said that it is “unfortunate” that journalists don't speak to union leaders before entering the picket-line.
“When you cover the strike, make sure you meet with the leaders [first].” He continued by saying: “When we are in the picketline, the picket line is our turf.”
He then apologised for how the strikers had behaved aggressively towards the reporter. Mfecane said that not all schools in the Joza area were on strike.
However, he did say that some of the coloured schools had good attendance because their staff members belong to other unions, so they attended at their own discretion.
Mfecane emphasised that all parents should motivate their children to go back to school. “Teachers have been negotiating with the government for quite a while now, even before the Fifa World Cup. The strike was our last resort if people talk to you and you don’t move then we will show you in other ways how to move,” said Mfecane.
He said that a meeting will be held on Thursday at the district department of Education office on how to proceed
with the Grade 12 trial exams.