KZN teachers face pay docking over Cosatu strike

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education have found themselves at odds with trade union federation Cosatu – threatening to withhold pay for teachers who participated in the national shutdown on Wednesday.

Cosatu and its affiliated unions demonstrated in major economic hubs across the country‚ with thousands of protesters flooding the streets in Durban’s central business district.

When the shutdown was announced‚ Cosatu encouraged their members‚ which include the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and National Union of Mineworkers‚ to take part in the protected strike action and down tools.

“Therefore workers are encouraged to participate in this strike‚ since no employee will be disciplined for partaking in a protected strike‚” Cosatu said in a statement.

In direct opposition‚ Education Department spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that a “sizable number” of schools had been affected by the strike.

“We respect the constitutional right of any labour union to participate in a legal and protected strike.

“The sad reality is that there's a sizable number of schools that have been affected by the Cosatu strike. We suspect that SADTU members decided to join the strike in solidarity with their federation. We are now left with no choice but to invoke the no-work‚ no-pay policy‚” he said.