Teachers, students, parents as well as traditional leaders are taking to the streets of Namibia today to express their anger at the government’s refusal to increase salaries and benefits for veteran teachers. In Windhoek, marches began this afternoon.
The Namibia National Teachers' Union (NANTU) and the government spent yesterday behind closed doors trying to get a deal. They didn’t.
The government claims there is no money.
Teachers aren’t buying that the government's coffers are bare. They point to the millions in public funds that are being misappropriated through dubious investment schemes.
The Namibian reports that, “NANTU has followed all legal procedures as the union pushes Government to honor its undertaking to increase salaries and benefits for long-serving teachers.”
Today’s demonstration is happening to impress upon the government that union leaders have the support of their rank and file.
Teachers argue that the undertaking to upgrade their salaries was a Government initiative, which was approved by the Office of the Prime Minister some 19 months ago. However, Cabinet informed NANTU three weeks ago that the promise to implement a universal salary structure for all teachers was "incorrect".
The govenment said that the appointment of 191 teachers at higher salaries since February of last year was "erroneous". The 191 were ordered to pay back the difference because they were "overpaid".
A strike is a distinct possibility. NANTU says care will be taken to insure that members are aware of the consequence of striking.
According to New Era, the Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) is also poised to join such a legal strike in the event of negotiations between NANTU and the Ministry of Education failing. It was announced by union president Gert Jansen "TUN has already demonstrated earlier this year in March in protest against low salaries and other perks of teachers. We don't see the need or the wisdom to join NANTU's demonstrations. Our members are waiting for action, a legal strike, which seems to be eminent," Gert Jansen told the paper.
"TUN urges parents to support the plight of teachers in efforts to move the government to revisit its decision in implementing the new teachers' appointment requirements. Government must realize that teachers are very serious. They will not act irresponsibly when it comes to the education of the nation. TUN therefore calls on the parent community to support any legal action, pending the outcome of the negotiations with the government," said Jansen.
"We are just waiting for the green light from NANTU to strike and we will. We will strike as teachers and not as members of any specific union because teachers' salaries are and have been a major contributing factor towards the lowering of our economic status. Come to think of it, the Ministry of Education is bound to loose millions more during a strike, instead of paying teachers their rightful salaries as was agreed to by the government," Robert Hoeseb, a math teacher at Dawid Bezuidenhout in Khomasdal told New Era.
Hoeseb adds, "Teachers can simply not make a living anymore because of the low pay. One cannot afford a decent house anymore. The little we earn is hardly enough to buy a small house in Katutura, let alone somewhere else. Parents of learners must understand that teachers will not be striking to spite them or their children, but for their own survival.”
NANTU is the government recognized union. Sources: Namibian, Allgemeine Zeitung (Namibia), New Era (Namibia)
No comments:
Post a Comment