Where are the unions as South Africa limps through yet another ill-considered jobs slaughter of a lockdown? Especially as thousands of teachers and educational support staff continue to refuse the Covid-19 vaccine.
It’s a good question to ask, when many – if not most – of the 582 000 education sector workers are members of trade unions. But the simple truth is that the five unions in the sector have done a great deal in trying to educate members about Covid-19 and the vaccine strategy. It has often been an uphill battle.