MASERU – Threats by government to kerb dissent in the teaching fraternity in the long-drawn-out industrial action by some teachers’ unions have materialised, with scores of teachers this month not getting paid.

Lesotho teachers’ unions on Monday said they presented their dissatisfaction with the issue before the government also asking it to address the salary restructuring.  Talks between the two parties were still in progress at the time of going to print by Wednesday. “At the end of the meetings it is expected of us to release a statement regarding latest developments on unpaid teachers’ salaries for the month of September, other issues will also be addressed,” the unions’ representative Letsatsi Ntsibolane told Metro on Wednesday. 

“Government has erred in withholding teachers’ salaries because some of those who were not paid actually went to work during this period in question, the ‘No work, No pay’ principle has also been misguidedly applied without counting the number of days teachers absented themselves from work,” Mr Ntsibolane added. This follows government’s warning through its Cabinet sub-committee dealing with teachers’ grievances that had in August pleaded with teachers currently on strike to go back to work, while their grievances were being addressed. The strike continued regardless of the warning hence the government resorting to applying the strict measure of ‘No work, No pay’.

The chairperson of this cabinet sub-committee dealing with the education crisis, Chief Thesele ’Maseribane, did not mince words in his threats last month that if teachers failed to heed government’s instruction to resume work, they would not be paid.  Chief ’Maseribane reasoned while peaceful strikes were allowed within a democratic framework of good governance, such industrial actions were applied for and not enforced.