teachers strike???

[shanejvv]

Official Newsflash From SAOU

 

MEDIA STATEMENT

ISSUED BY DR JOPIE BREED, PRESIDENT OF THE SAOU ON 19 AUGUST 2010

SAOU TO PARTICIPATE IN INDUSTRIAL ACTION

 

The Standing Committee of the SAOU resolved on Thursday, 19 August to participate in industrial action with effect from Monday, 23 August until Thursday, 26 August in the form of rolling mass action. The industrial action will culminate in the participation in mass marches in the nine provinces on Thursday, 26 August 2010. All members are requested to show solidarity with each other and the other trade unions.

 

The SAOU decided on this drastic step after 87% of members rejected the State’s latest offer of a 7% general salary adjustment and a R700 pm housing allowance after conducting a ballot among members. The nine provincial structures of the SAOU will each decide on the nature and extent of the industrial action at the provincial level and information in this regard will be communicated at a later stage. With this decision the SAOU shows solidarity with the decisions of the Independent Labour Caucus regarding the rejection of the latest offer.

 

Note was also taken of reports of an increase in planned intimidation and violence in an attempt to disrupt schools. School governing bodies are requested to monitor the risk of intimidation and the possible injury of learners and education personnel. Should there be a reasonable risk of intimidation and injury, the best interests of learners and personnel should be borne in mind and not to attempt to keep the school open at all cost.

 

The SAOU also records its absolute condemnation of the actions of the members of other unions who make themselves guilty of the damage of property and the intimidation of learners and education personnel at schools. The flip side of the coin regarding the insistence on labour rights, goes hand in hand with certain responsibilities, and in this case, respect for the rights of learners and other education personnel. In the event that perpetrators find it difficult to honour the rights of other persons, their rights must unfortunately be limited. The SAOU trust that perpetrators will be identified and that the law will run its full course. Barbaric actions as that which have been witnessed during the last week, can no longer be tolerated.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

My wife has a BA, honours in psychology and a higher diploma in education - 5 years at university. She's one of the best - and best loved - teachers at her school, takes extra murals, does counselling and is vice-head of her grade, is never home before 5.30 despite 'shorter hours' for teachers, and, as an english teacher, often spends all weekend and part of the holiday marking.

 

She takes home less than 10k per month. I'd say that's pretty indecent. I think a 300% raise would be more in line with her skills, level of dedication, experience and what she is delivering. It would be a good starting point anyway.

 

The impact of these strikes is trivial compared to what is happening to the level of education in this country. Those that are outraged should go to the airport and count the education graduates boarding planes for countries where they are valued.

 

Hmm, I would say you have a vested interest in your comments.

 

When I owned my engineering company I opened at 6am and closed the shop at 7pm every day for 23 years, did I cry how tough life was, NO, did I cry about the guy who went home at 4.30 and went cycling, NO, did I want to change things, YES (after a while)so I sold the company and retired.

 

My wife is an advocate, has been for 20 years, she works dawn till dusk, in some sh*t hole dirty court with blocked toilets and no aircon.

 

Do I think she gets paid her worth, No, do's the company she represents think she gets paid her worth, Damn right they do, do's she think she gets paid her worth, I dont know, but she cant wait to go to work in the morning, so I assume she is happy.

 

If you dont like your job, if you dont think it pays a comensurate salary to your worth, move on to greener pastures, make a change, dont hold your employer to ransom and prejudice the innocent.

 

As for the people leaving - so what, people leave the USA to go work in Jordan, people leave France to go work in Mauritius, the international work force is constantly on the move.

 

.....but just to calm your fears about people leaving, there are just as many high quality graduates CLAMOURING to come work here, in 2006 I was part of a group of businesses who attended a show in London to aimed at hiring quality international staff to work here. Eskom, Sasol, Mittal all the major corporates were there signing up hundreds of post graduates students, highly qualified artisans, engineers you name it, they were flocking to the stands to come work here, in sunny SA.!!!

[Lucky Luke.]

Hmm, I would say you have a vested interest in your comments.

 

Absolutely, I want my wife and her colleagues who deserve it to be paid what they are worth. It's the decent thing to do.

 

.....but just to calm your fears about people leaving, there are just as many high quality graduates CLAMOURING to come work here, in 2006 I was part of a group of businesses who attended a show in London to aimed at hiring quality international staff to work here. Eskom, Sasol, Mittal all the major corporates were there signing up hundreds of post graduates students, highly qualified artisans, engineers you name it, they were flocking to the stands to come work here, in sunny SA.!!!

 

Sorry to be blunt but you are absolutely dreaming if you think teachers are flocking to work here. Quite the opposite I'm afraid. My wife's father founded a private school and a large portion of her family are and have been in education. I can assure you the situation is dire. Teachers starting out today at government schools are not going to be able to pay back their student loans or buy houses in the communities that they serve.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Absolutely, I want my wife and her colleagues who deserve it to be paid what they are worth. It's the decent thing to do.

 

 

 

Sorry to be blunt but you are absolutely dreaming if you think teachers are flocking to work here. Quite the opposite I'm afraid. My wife's father founded a private school and a large portion of her family are and have been in education. I can assure you the situation is dire. Teachers starting out today at government schools are not going to be able to pay back their student loans or buy houses in the communities that they serve.

 

Fair enough, my experience is not with teachers so I'll accept your comment that teachers are in short supply, but its not a general situation throughout the entire work spectrum.

 

However, I dont accept there are no options open to teachers other than striking and picketing. When you enter a field of endevour you accept the terms of employment (renumeration, hours, working conditions, opportunities, etc) - If those terms dont suit you, there are other options to excercise and / or other careers to follow which will.

[Puncture Girl]

 

My wife is a qualified teacher with 24 years experience. Why must she go into the private school system? Private schools are not the be-all-and-end-all of education. A number of private schools have matriculants that cannot enter university. The pupils marks are over 80% average and they do not get accepted by SA universities. Why? (Sorry Sias, not because they are white).

 

Their uppity private school system is not recognised by the SA universities, and let me qualify that statement by saying that I am not referring to the IEB here. Solution? Go back and re-do matric at a "crappy" government school. Qualifications are not that closely adhered to in many private schools either. Bed of roses? Yup, just watch for the thorns.

 

 

For me, yes, private schools are the 'be all and end all'. My son goes to an Independent Christian School in Midrand. It is a small school with just over 260 learners. The students are respectful, the classes are max 20 children. The Principal is approachable and my child loves his teacher. The school follows the current OBE Curriculum and adds more. I got my son's report this evening and his report card was full of O's = has exceeded the requirements of Learning Outcome for the Grade.

 

As for the Government schools available in our area (Midrand) - to put it mildly - NO WAY IN HELL would I send my children to any of the Government schools in this area. The one Middle C school we did like in Bryanston - well low and behold if you were not living in a VERY specific area then sorry for you.

 

We may not pay the exorbitant fees as other Private schools in the area, and the facilities may not be that fantastic but the education is Top Notch and the teacher's caring.

 

Hubby and I don't drive fancy cars, we don't live in a fancy house - but I'll make darn sure my children get a decent education.

 

Michelle

[Lucky Luke.]

When you enter a field of endevour you accept the terms of employment (renumeration, hours, working conditions, opportunities, etc) - If those terms dont suit you, there are other options to excercise and / or other careers to follow which will.

 

Yes, that is true of the majority of career paths. However I think there are exceptions where community involvement is a factor. My wife is committed to the kids she works with. She could go work at a private school and get a much better paying post, but the school she is at contains kids from across the economic spectrum and plays a role in helping hard working kids from all sorts of backgrounds. The matric pass rate is consistently 100% and they are doing good work as a platform to higher education for those who would otherwise not make it.

 

So in light of this, a purely economic approach of "I'll just find something that pays better" doesn't really apply. Not for Sue, and certainly not as a workable solution for over a thousand kids at the school. It will be extremely difficult to replace her and at the very least, disruptive for her matrics and other classes if she leaves.

 

Strikes are unpleasant and the story of medical staff not being allowed into hospitals is upsetting. But if teachers do not get a living wage this country is going to go down the toilet much faster than what it already is. The strike may not solve the problem but at least it creates awareness that one exists, which is what I am trying to do here.

[Lucky Luke.]

For me, yes, private schools are the 'be all and end all'. My son goes to an Independent Christian School in Midrand. It is a small school with just over 260 learners. The students are respectful, the classes are max 20 children. The Principal is approachable and my child loves his teacher. The school follows the current OBE Curriculum and adds more. I got my son's report this evening and his report card was full of O's = has exceeded the requirements of Learning Outcome for the Grade.

 

As for the Government schools available in our area (Midrand) - to put it mildly - NO WAY IN HELL would I send my children to any of the Government schools in this area. The one Middle C school we did like in Bryanston - well low and behold if you were not living in a VERY specific area then sorry for you.

 

We may not pay the exorbitant fees as other Private schools in the area, and the facilities may not be that fantastic but the education is Top Notch and the teacher's caring.

 

Hubby and I don't drive fancy cars, we don't live in a fancy house - but I'll make darn sure my children get a decent education.

 

Michelle

 

Interesting, I think your story is representative of a growing trend towards affordable private schooling in SA. I have a friend who graduated as a teacher in '95 and since then has worked exclusively in the UK. She is currently deputy head at a school in London but has tentative plans to come back here and open up her own school.

[Wyatt Earp]

I saw a chick wearing a t-shirt in gym the other day, it said more money=more work

:lol: :lol:

Where is the damn mentality, the harder you work, the more you prove yourself and your loyalty=greater reward.

As for the medical folks taking the Hippocratic Oath pffffft........ "who cares, let them die, I want my increase"

My wife has been at hospitals the last two days trying to help wherever possible, and she work for a private entity.

[Gasping]

Puncture Girl, perhaps I did not make my opinion on private schools clear so please allow me a few lines to clarify.

 

Private schools have something in common with government schools: some are good and some are not. By citing my example it was probably skewed to show I have an issue with all private schools. Sorry.

[Wyatt Earp]

For me, yes, private schools are the 'be all and end all'. My son goes to an Independent Christian School in Midrand. It is a small school with just over 260 learners. The students are respectful, the classes are max 20 children. The Principal is approachable and my child loves his teacher. The school follows the current OBE Curriculum and adds more. I got my son's report this evening and his report card was full of O's = has exceeded the requirements of Learning Outcome for the Grade.

 

As for the Government schools available in our area (Midrand) - to put it mildly - NO WAY IN HELL would I send my children to any of the Government schools in this area. The one Middle C school we did like in Bryanston - well low and behold if you were not living in a VERY specific area then sorry for you.

 

We may not pay the exorbitant fees as other Private schools in the area, and the facilities may not be that fantastic but the education is Top Notch and the teacher's caring.

 

Hubby and I don't drive fancy cars, we don't live in a fancy house - but I'll make darn sure my children get a decent education.

 

Michelle

I am with you 100 %

Your boy must be in Christ Church, awesome school and Dave is an awesome person to have as principal.

Mi kiddies are in Summerhill, it hurts us and it's basically what we work for, I will often spend extra late nights just to be able to get the cash together to keep my kids there, and it's by no means one of the expensive private schools in our area.

[Delgado]

My feelings are not directed at whether the strike action is valid or not but rather to the barbaric behaviour in the strike action by the populace of this sad country on an even sadder continent!!!

 

The biggest joke is still seeing the World Cup advertising stating "Ke Nako!! Celebrating Africa's Humanity!" .....and this whilst babies die of starvation in hospitals of a country enshrined in human rights??! What a effing joke!!!

 

Go All Blacks!!

[pastapouch]

Just heard on 702 that striking workers with knobkierries and sjamboks are going to target private schools next.

[RudoJ]

What saddens me the most about the strike is the three babies that died in hospital due them not getting food for an entire day. Fire the lot of them striking buggers. While I do understand that they might not get paid enough, how on earth can you ignore your duty especially when delivering an essential, possibly life changing/saving service???

[Wyatt Earp]

Just heard on 702 that striking workers with knobkierries and sjamboks are going to target private schools next.

The dumb tossers are welcome, my kids are going on holiday for two weeks starting today.

[MyGT]

Read this article now on news24.com

 

 

Cape Town - Patients facing life and death situations must "negotiate" with strikers about crossing hospital picket lines, a union declared on Friday.

 

The statement, by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) in the Western Cape, comes after strikers in other provinces on Thursday prevented sick people from entering health facilities.

 

Nehawu Western Cape provincial secretary Suraya Jawoodeen claimed in a statement on Friday that the union had "totally shut down" Cape Town's Groote Schuur, Tygerberg and GF Jooste hospitals.

 

She asked that members of the community stay away from these and other service delivery sites.

 

"Those who find themselves faced with a life and death situation must negotiate entry onto the premises with our marshalls (sic) on the picket lines," she said.

 

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused by our action and want to invite the community to join us on the picket lines at Groote Schuur Hospital, GF Jooste and Tygerburg (sic)."

 

She claimed that strikers had also shut down the department of home affairs and department of labour public offices in the province, and several courts and other government offices.

 

How the F!@%* do you negotiate with strikers in a life and death situation???

 

and they have the nerve to invite the community to join the strike.

 

cant say more, my anger is now becoming overwhelming

[Mojoman]

Its about time the Army and the Police joined forces and cleared the streets of this trash, South Afica is a country of fat assed, pussy footing politicians (white and black and in all parties) that are a total embarassment to the average, decent, hard working South African. I have now lost money due to these idiots (believe it or not, in the tourism/conference sector, our client does not want to chance going to the hotel until this strike is cleared up) so thats some more money lost due to pig ignorant unions run by contestants for the Dumbest/Missing Link!