Mbabane- Contract teachers might smile on their way to the bank again, as their plea for housing and traveling allowance might be soon implemented as government and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) are about to seal a deal.
Contract teachers are teachers who have not been employed by government permanently but their contracts are renewable, pending the availability of vacancies.
Contract teachers have been all along secluded from housing allowance and traveling allowance as the employer has previously deprived them the right to those privileges.
SNAT out-going President, Mbongwa Dlamini said they are having positive discussions with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Service concerning the compensation of contract teachers’ allowances. Dlamini says the contract teachers have been all along deprived their right to get these allowances according to the General Order A778. He explains that this order affords every government employee the right to get the allowances whether employed on temporary or permanent basis.
Dlamini mentioned that if the discussions with the Ministry of Public Service bears fruits, the contract teachers’ allowances will be backdated to October last year.
“According to the salary review consultations done by Umelusi Consultancy contract teachers deserve housing and transport allowance. It does not matter how long the teacher’s contract is, as long as he or she is contracted to government. The salary review agreed on compensation according to the teachers salary grade.” Dlamini said.
He said teachers of grade A to B are expected to get a housing allowance of E2 000, while those of grade C to D are to get E2 500 per month. Dlamini further said the salary review granted a 77 cents per kilometer on traveling allowances.
Public Service Principal Secretary Mthunzi Shabangu when interviewed by Independent News confirmed that indeed they are engaging with the contract teachers’ representatives, SNAT concerning this matter. Shabangu said during the vusela they took to rural schools around the country with SNAT, they discussed this matter but there are bases they need to touch before coming to conclusion.
“It’s really a valid and reasonable concern because after all they are government employees. Their request needs a proper justification even though I won’t pre-empt the outcome since we are still too deeply deliberate on ways to deal with it. I can also confirm that SNAT has delivered this concern with the Ministry of Education. ” Shabangu confirmed.
When asked why the contract teachers were exempted from getting the housing and travelling allowances, Shabangu said some of the rules that are used are old and are not easy to deal with.
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