Johannesburg - Grade R teachers in KwaZulu-Natal have not been paid their stipends since April, a teachers union has said, but they are still expected to turn up for work every morning.
The National Teachers Union (NATU) says it is concerned about the situation and has described the non-payment as “unacceptable”.
The union’s acting president Sibusiso Malinga said the teachers were meant to be paid at the end of April, but this has not happened.
Malinga said the non-payment of the stipends undermined the teachers rights as workers and had left them helpless.
“As we are from the Workers Day, what do we celebrate if some of us suffer like this in our hard earned democracy?”
“Teachers are expected to report to work as usual despite there being no answers for the non-payments of stipends,”
The union has called on the Department of Education, who are responsible for the payment of the teachers, to take responsibility and pay the teachers as they py other departmental officials on time.
“It is a shame on the departmental officials who always get their full salaries at the end of each month, support their families and service their debts.”
NATU has called on the department to take responsibility and fill the vacancies in the province which they said are understaffed and incapatitated.
The union has since written to all department of education districts in KwaZulu-Natal regarding this matter.
The union said they will not be accepting any excuses as they want the matter to be addressed urgently.
The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal has said the matter is being attended to.
Spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said: “The main cause for this is the annual resumption of the Grade R educators which is something that is being discussed to have an alternative way of having a seamless process.
“The delayed payments are regrettable and it something that the department together with unions should address to have a long solution on the matter”.
IOL