With the escalating Covid-19 positive cases that surpassed 1 300 in Namibia, the Teachers’ Union of Namibia (TUN) yesterday threatened to invoke the Labour Act of 2007, section 42 that deals with employee’s right to leave a dangerous place of work.
TUN secretary general Mahongora Kavihuha yesterday said the union would exploit all the possible and progressive options.
He said they will start with the mobilisation of its members and masses of the people to report to legitimate and positive action to combat the pandemic with the force and vigour equal to the threat the virus possesses.
“We will not hesitate to resort to invoking the provision of section 42 of the Labour Act 11 of 2007 to prevent the risk of exposing our members to the Covid-19 virus,” Kavihuha charged.
Although learners have been on prolonged holiday due to the coronavirus outbreak, teachers resumed duties in April.
Section 42 (1) of the Labour Act stipulates that, if an employee has reasonable cause to believe that, until effective measures have been taken, it is neither safe nor healthy to continue work in a place of work, that employee may leave that place.
The same section (2) says, if an employee leaves a place of work in terms of subsection (1), the employee must immediately inform the employer of the basis for believing that it is not safe or healthy to continue working there.
Section 42 (3) states an employee who leaves a place of work in terms of this section is entitled to the same conditions of service applicable to that employee and to receive the same remuneration during the period of absence.
TUN also reiterated its stance that all grades, except transitional ones, must be deferred for the remainder of this academic year.
The four main transitional grades are 7, 9, 11 and 12.
Kavihuha also highlighted various circumstances, which he believes hampers the reopening of schools countrywide.
Schools and educational institutions providing primary education at grade 7 and 9 levels resumed face-to-face learning this week.
This is in addition to the schools and educational institutions providing early childhood development learning, pre-primary learning, and primary education at grade one to three levels, which resumed face-to-face learning on 7 July.
Plans to restart classes for grade 11 and 12 learners at Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis, however, failed to materialise this week.
Private schools in the three towns who indicated that they are ready to reopen are allowed to do so, provided that parental consent is sought.
TUN reiterated that all learners in the transitional grades must be hosted in facilities that are optimally disposed to keep them in terms of the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
TUN demands that all the other grades must be transferred to the next level with the necessary curriculum rationalisation, weeding out such subjects as religious education, Afrikaans, among others.
“It is high time to note that much has been said by so many, including ourselves and the response we get is that the government is not very helpful, to say the least. We do not for one moment want to be linked to nay lame response as demonstrated by the government to a very serious and life-threatening pandemic. We are in a very serious situation which calls for drastic measures and not some wishy-washy, non-comital, half-baked action,” Kavihuha remarked.