BusinessLive reports that the Essential Services Committee has determined that school managers and support staff are not essential services, effectively upholding their right to strike.  

However, it has declared a small group of services provided at boarding schools, namely boarding house parents, sanatorium services and security, to be so in order to protect pupils in the event of industrial action.  The committee’s decision, handed down on 5 November, follows an investigation requested by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to limit teachers’ right to strike.  The DA sought to have a minimum service level declared for schools, in particular so that school principals and other senior managers were available during strikes to ensure that pupils were safe and secure.  The committee, which operates in terms of the LRA, said there was no basis in law to designate basic education as an essential service or to limit or prohibit the right of principals and deputy principals to strike.  Its decision was welcomed by the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), which said the DA’s submission was an attack on collective bargaining and labour peace.  The DA will apparently consider appealing against the decision or pursuing other avenues to try to improve the safeguards for learners when teachers go on strike.

• Read Tamar Kahn’s full original report in this regard at BusinessLive

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