Western Cape Education Department urges teachers union not to strike

The Western Cape's Education MEC David Maynier  has urged teacher unions not to fight against the department after the teacher’s unions have threatened to go on strike over teacher job cuts in the province.

“Striking will not change the fact that we are being short-changed by the national government, which only provided 64% of the cost of the wage agreement negotiated nationally with unions, leaving the province to fund the remaining 36%,” said MEC David Maynier.

PICTURE: Pixabay

The WCED announced that they will be cutting 2 400 jobs in the education sector by next year. Teachers unions rejected the job cuts proposed by the department but instead proposed that the department puts on hold programmes that they will be launching next year, like the back-on-back programme.

“Even if we cut all the programmes suggested by the teachers’ unions, we would not come anywhere close to dealing with the massive R3.8 billion budget shortfall,” he added.

Done by: Sihle Jezile