The star Online
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The SA Democratic Teachers' Union has been taken to task by the Education Department for "misinformed and inflammatory" remarks about outstanding pay for teachers.
Education Department spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele yesterday said a settlement agreement for wage increases had been fulfilled.
"There is no basis for Sadtu to make such misinformed and inflammatory statements."
The union said on Saturday that increases and incentives agreed upon in April had been paid out in only three provinces. It claimed about 200 000 teachers were affected.
Ngqengelele said wage rises in the Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape were made by July as agreed with Sadtu.
Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and KwaZulu Natal had until the end of this month while Limpopo and the Eastern Cape had until March 31 to make payments.
Sadtu national negotiator Shireen Pardesi yesterday said the department had paid incentives - 3% of each teacher's salary - in only three provinces.
However, Ngqengelele said the union had been unable to provide information at meetings last week on teachers who were owed payments. - Sapa