Good times await scarce skilled teachers
Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday August 22, 2017 17:02
Last week, Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa of the Lobatse High Court ordered that BOSETU members offering the above-mentioned subjects are entitled to scarce skills allowances as they hold the needed qualifications. After a protracted legal tussle, the matter came to an end in an amicable agreement between BOSETU and the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).
“It is hereby agreed by the parties that the applicants’ members in the list attached have accounting or relevant qualifications and are actually teaching accounting and business studies and are entitled to scarce skill allowance as per Directives Ref: DP/19/72 VI (116) dated 2nd December 2015 and Directive Ref: DP/19/96 VIII (4) of 10th August 2015,” read the court order. The payment of the said allowance shall be paid to the applicants’ members effecting from April 1, 2013. Onalethata Kambai represented BOSETU while attorney Taunyane represented the DPSM. Further, the respondent has been ordered to pay the cost of the hearing.
BOSETU publicity secretary, Edwin Maitshoko said this case was about discrimination against their members whom they believe deserve to be paid scarce skills given that the many Business Studies and Accounting teachers employed in junior and secondary schools are foreign nationals.
This, the union argued, testified to the fact that there was a serious shortage in the two fields. “We believe that scarcity is measured by shortage, hence we are asking that the employer classify these people as scarce and pay them accordingly,” Maitshoko told Mmegi.
In November 2009, a review of the skills audit was conducted, which resulted in the DPSM directive dated November 30, 2009. It also covered holders of the AAT qualifications. Later, in April 2013 another savingram was circulated to all ministries to pay diploma holders in accounting and business studies scarce skills allowance effective from April 1, 2013. Employees holding diploma in accounting and business studies were erroneously omitted in the savingram of DPSM dated April 23, 2013.
The notice also indicated that on March 31, 2014, the then director of DPSM, Carter Morupisi issued a savingram authorising public service employees holding diploma in accounting and business studies to earn scarce skills allowance that effected on April 1, 2014.
On December 2, 2015 the incumbent director Ruth Maphorisa issued another circular savingram authorising employees holding degrees in accounting or related qualifications to be paid scarce skills allowance.
This resulted in school bursars getting the scarce skills allowance as well as initially they were left out while their counterparts under the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning were paid.
“Business Studies and Accounting teachers are qualified AAT, CIMA diploma and degree holders, hence the employer must pay teachers,” Maitshoko said.