WINDHOEK: The Teachers’ Union of Namibia TUNon Wednesday demanded clarity on reports doing the rounds that civil servants will be receiving a salary increment.
Speaking at a media conference in the capital, TUN President Mahongora Kavihuha said: “We are all informed that Government has offered to give an inflation-related increment and to this effect no clear development has been reported to the public servants.”
He added that public servants opt for this approach as there “is no collective bargaining in public service, just begging’.
Kavihuha also expressed concern about Government stopping the payments of a retention allowance bush allowancein some regions without informing teachers.
“This shows again that this was not a genuine bargaining, but begging. That is why they are stopping without informing the affected teachers,” he stated.
TUN has now given Government until World Teachers’ Day 05 October 2012to resume with the payment of the allowance, saying failure to do so will leave the teachers with no other option but to take further unspecified actions.
Speaking about unqualified teachers, the TUN President said the union has observed a “serious increment” in the number of unqualified teachers in a number of regions, more specifically in regions that at one stage had no unqualified teachers, such as the Karas Region.
This, they said, needs urgent intervention.
According to Mahongora, statistic shows that in 2007 there were 173 under- and unqualified teachers in the Ohangwena Region. This number has since increased to 147 as of May in 2012.
Omaheke had 43 such teachers in 2007, which had increased to 123 by May this year; while in Omusati, from the 43 under- and unqualified teachers, the number has grown 119 under-qualified and 67 unqualified teachers.
Oshana had 41 under- and unqualified teachers in 2007, which decreased to 17 in May 2012, while Kunene had 13 under- and unqualified teachers during the same period which increased to 121 in May 2012.
In the Karas Region, the number of under- and unqualified teachers increased from 56 to 91 teachers in May 2012.