There are calls for tough action against leaders at the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) central Johannesburg branch after thousands of teachers abandoned their classrooms to attend a union meeting on Friday.
Sadtu called the meeting at noon in Soweto to update its members about ongoing wage negotiations but teachers started leaving their classrooms as early as 9am to make their way through.
Countless schools in Soweto and the greater Johannesburg region were forced to close their doors because of the teacher absenteeism, despite just starting the school term after an extended World Cup holiday.
The Democratic Alliance’s James Lorimer is calling for action from the education minister herself.
“Calling teachers out during school time is breaking the social contract it’s inexcusable that they have wasted valuable class time. What should happen now is that Minister Angie Motshekga should put her foot down,” Lorimer said.
Kenny Mbatha is the regional secretary for Gauteng’s branch of students union Cosas and said he is outraged.
“It’s a problem to us because many of the learners were outside [class] during school hours,” he said.
SADTU DEFENDS WEEKDAY NOON MEETING
Sadtu is defending itself against the heavy criticism.
The union’s Ronald Nyati said their members have a right to meet with their shop stewards.
“It is only recently that negotiations collapsed. We had to report on the collapse to our members so that they are not in the dark,” he said.
The union is also threatening a crippling strike among teachers after wage talks with government collapsed.
(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)