Should teachers be allowed to strike?

Malcolm Venter

Education and Language Consultant

In the midst of the current public servants’ strike, it is perhaps a good time to pause and reflect on whether teachers should strike – or be allowed to strike. The issue has been raised in political circles, and  by President Zuma himself. James Lorrimer,  DA spokesperson on education, issued a statement in February this year indicating that his party was going to put in an application for teaching to be declared an essential service, which would mean that they would not be allowed to strike. A profession is regarded as an essential service if the disruption of the service inconveniences people’s lives or places them in danger. The SAPS and medical sector are currently the services whose workers may not go on strike.

Lorrimer argued that the disruption of classes results in children getting behind in their learning programme and threatens their academic future. ‘Therefore,’ he said, ‘teaching must also be declared an essential service.’ He pointed out that this was the case in certain states in the US.

In saying this, Lorrimer was echoing President Zuma, who had criticised SADTU at their annual congress for their share in breaking down the education system. In October last year he also indicated that he was considering declaring teaching an essential service.

The teacher unions have vigorously opposed the idea, including the independent unions (ie those not affiliated to COSATU); and, indeed, all the unions have currently given their members the green light to strike, albeit for differing periods of time.

There is no doubt that teachers have a legitimate reason to consider industrial action at present. While the state maintains that it does not have the money to up their offer of 7% (which they falsely present as 8.5%, by adding in the normal 1.5% annual progression), teachers and other public servants have queried whether this would not be possible if the government were to cut its costs (as has happened recently in the UK). The money spent on luxury cars; the fact that ministers stay in five-star hotels and that millions were spent on World Cup tickets (not all of which could be said to be used to woo investors, etc); the dodgy tender deals; the unnecessary hoards of ; the huge salaries paid to the hundreds of MPs –  all of this does not look like a cash-strapped government.  And then, to add insult to injury, Minister Baloyi arrogantly (and stupidly) responded to these complaints by asking sarcastically if ministers should be required to drive around in bakkies or on scooters; and pointing out that the old government had done the same (falling into the old trap of thinking that two wrongs make a right).

But the question remains: If teachers have a legitimate grievance over a pay offer, should they strike?  There are actually two questions here: Should they have the right to strike; and is it right to strike?   On the first count, I would say yes. Teaching, though a very essential service, is not one that places people’s lives in danger if the authorities and schools handle the situation circumspectly. It is up to the state to ensure that teachers are appropriately remunerated. This means, firstly, starting negotiations before the budget is finalised – at present, by the time the negotiations begin (later and later every year), there is not much to negotiate about. The cart must be re-put behind the horse. And, of course, this also means that enough should be budgeted for to enable teachers to earn what they should in terms of their qualifications, the importance of their work, and the huge demands made on their time, energy and emotions.

Regarding the second question, my personal opinion is that it is not right for teachers to strike, unless they can do so in such a way as not to disrupt education. One aspect of the definition of a ‘professional’ is that he/she has a commitment to his/her client. If we want to be called professionals, we should not conveniently ignore this aspect. If a school were, for example, to arrange for teachers to strike in turns and to make sure that pupils are supervised and gainfully engaged in learning, then I might accept the idea teachers going on strike. And then only if it is done in a dignified manner – I am appalled by pictures of teachers dancing around like whirling dervishes and engaging in acts of intimidation:  not particularly professional! But I could not, in conscience, myself jeopardise the futures of the young people who are the centre of our jobs.  So, while I defend the right of teachers to strike under controlled conditions, I do not approve of strikes which are to the detriment of schoolchildren.