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Recently Sadtu made a submission to the Education Labour Relations Council to have other trade unions representing teachers removed, and for it to be declared the sole representative of teachers on the Council. This is another example of how the union tramples without restraint over the rights of others in pursuit of its own political agenda.

There can be no improvement in South Africa's education results until Sadtu makes some genuine efforts to build a constructive agenda for itself and rein in its militancy.

On 11 January 2010 the Sadtu national leadership signed a social contract for education, committing themselves to establishing "all schools in South Africa as centres of excellence".

Despite this, I have been told that some schools in the Eastern Cape were deserted yesterday, during school hours, because SADTU members around Alice, in the Fort Beaufort area in the Eastern Cape, were protesting against the appointment of a new District Director.

This follows reports I received last week of schools in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal also being closed for the day for trade union activities.

Parents, learners and committed teachers appear to be powerless to resist these closures because of threats and bullying by the Sadtu members concerned.

In light of these incidents and events we therefore ask Sadtu leadership to give real substance to its commitment to quality education by:

Withdrawing its application to the Education Bargaining Chamber to have other education trade unions excluded from the bargaining process. Sadtu does not represent all teachers and other voices, which speak more strongly for quality education, must be heard.
Taking strong disciplinary action against the teachers who have abandoned their schools over the past few weeks;
Supporting the DA's steps to have education declared an essential service, so teachers may not strike. Every day of teaching lost is a denial of opportunity to a child and Sadtu must recognise this.