Registrar at the Department of Labour, advocate Lehlohonolo Molefe, presents the certificate of registration to the Educators Union of South Africa president Scelo Bhengu.
Pretoria – There is a new recognised teachers’ union in town seeking to fight for the well-being of educators in the country.
Clad in green T-shirts, members of the Educators Union of South Africa received their certificate of registration at the Department of Labour yesterday, having met all the requirements. The union’s provincial task team gathered at St Alban’s Cathedral in the city centre to celebrate their victory. It was a day of songs and ululations.
The department’s registrar advocate Lehlogonolo Molefe handed over the certificate to the leadership of the union.
Union president Scelo Bhengu said he was beyond happy that they were finally recognised, especially after the countless times they had been turned down. He said their first application was in 2009, but their application was turned down. “We applied again in 2014, 2015 and 2017, but failed dismally.
“In 2018 we applied four times and we are very happy that this day has come,” he said.
Bhengu believed that in all the attempts they tried to register there were people inside the department blocking their applications to be a success. “We are happy that there is a new registrar because we believe that among the people who blocked us from the inside, the old registrar was one of them.”
They said the registration certification was the first step towards the realisation of their 10-point-plan which aimed to change the status quo in education.
He said: “Teachers are reduced to nothing and we want to change that. We want teachers to be respected and well remunerated. Our plan is to focus on decent salaries for teachers and we are not talking about the 6.5% or whatever.”
Bhengu said they wanted an entry salary for teachers to be R25000, while those post level one (five to nine years experience) be remunerated R30000 and those with 20 years and more experience be given R40000.
In their plan, they wanted the Government Employees Medical Scheme to be scrapped or employees be allowed to join medical aids of their choice. They further wanted two members of the SAPS to be stationed at schools for the safety of pupils and staff members.
The day was sealed with a braai to mark the beginning of a milestone for the union.