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Unions urged to be more vocal on education

Speaking at the official opening of a three-day workshop for Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), Botswana Sector of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and Trainers and Allied Workers Union (TAWU), Eringu said the call was not for the unions to cause havoc, but for them to make their voices heard, as educators entrusted with the responsibility of imparting knowledge.

He explained that all these unions should realise and understand that circumstances have changed and there has been an increasing need for concerted efforts for teachers and other education workers to identify common areas, and develop common strategy.

“We are at a time where we need to recollect and channel our energy as teachers and other educators to fight for sustainable and quality education in order for Africa to rise,” said Eringu.

Eringu stressed that for any country to strive and achieve quality education, there had to be sacrifices made and also that Africans should unite more to facilitate different ideas on a broader scale on education.

He said once united, they need to represent common groups, and then identify common grounds and ideas on which to benefit the members.  “To this we need to develop synergy to use our capacity to the full. EI will support such efforts within its capacity,” said Eringu.

He explained that on January 14, 2014, EI released a study documenting collective bargaining in the education sector, which detailed the challenges unions have faced in maintaining existing rights and strengthening collective bargaining provisions since 2008.

Eringu said some of the challenges included the government imposing restrictions on collective bargaining, imposed wage settlements, legislation to prohibit strike action and new legislation to halt collective bargaining in the public sector.

“And, as the unity the EI seeks to anchor the right to freedom of association for teachers and the general public sector in the post 2015 agenda, as integral to attainment of quality education and public services for all,” stressed Eringu. He said as part of their campaign for Unite for Quality Education, adopted in Paris and New York to influence the agenda on education, their key pillars is to facilitate for quality teachers quality tools and quality environment

Eringu further stressed that EI invited its affiliates to strive to be heard for quality education to remain on top of the agenda.

He said the EI priorities are to protect education against the effects of financial crisis, counter de-professionalisation trends, confront attacks on education unions, pursue the rights and equality agenda and strengthen member organisations.