Maynier urges teacher unions not to go on strike over WC job cuts

CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier is urging teacher unions not to go on strike over teacher job cuts in the province.
 
Last week, the provincial education department announced that 2,400 teaching posts would be made redundant by the end of the year due to budget cuts.
 
The department said that this was caused by a significant budget shortfall of R3.8 billion over the next three years.

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Teacher unions have rejected the department's plans and have threatened strike action.
 
Unions are proposing that the department puts brakes on some of its programmes for next year, such as the back-on-track programme.
 
However, Maynier said that this would not help deal with the budget shortfall.

"We would have to hollow out our non-personnel spending to become a department that only transfers salaries and does not offer any support to teachers, learners and schools. We have not taken a decision to reduce the number of teaching posts lightly and we are doing everything we can to fight for our teachers."

Maynier urged teacher unions not to go on strike.

"We hope that teachers unions will choose to fight alongside us rather than against us."