The protracted strike at Eastcape Middlands College has placed a heavy burden on the few non-striking teachers.
The protracted strike at Eastcape Middlands College has placed a heavy burden on the few non-striking teachers.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the classes abandoned by striking teachers are now taught by teachers not necessarily qualified to teach those subjects.
According to a group of students from the College who spoke to Grocott's Mail this week, some teachers haven't taught classes since the strike began on 13 January.
Earlier this year the College axed 66 Nehawu-affiliated staff for taking part in an unprotected strike.
Second-year Tourism student Xhanti Ngudwana said the situation at the Grahamstown Campus is calm and that classes have been taking place without any interruption since the third week of February.
Last week The Eastcape Midlands College branch of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union claimed that they had crippled the institution.
They said students were attending one or two classes a day instead of seven.
However, the students said they are getting at least six classes a day, thanks to the extra efforts of non-striking teachers.
Sinazo Dyosi said the lecturers were going out of their way to try and fill in the gaps left by striking teachers.
Branch Secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union's EMC branch, Kenneth Fitoyi, said this week that the labour dispute between the College and Nehawu remains unresolved.
The institution, with campuses in Grahamstown, Uitenhage and Graaff-Reinet, has been affected by the strike that began on 13 January.
A total of 17 Nehawu shop stewards are facing the axe for taking part in the unprotected strike.
Among Nehawu's demands are salary increases.
Nehawu's EMC branch co-ordinator Thando Gotyi explained: "The EMC is rated first in the Eastern Cape in terms of producing good results and third in the country among the 50 FET colleges. Yet teachers earn the lowest compared to other institutions."
Gotyi said an entry level salary at EMC is R12 500 a month, while at other colleges it is R22 000.
They also demand that all temporary staff who have worked at the College for longer than three months be absorbed.
"According to the collective agreement, workers should be deemed permanent after serving three months," Gotyi said.
The College was not available for comment.
