The three teachers’ unions of Lesotho Association of Teachers (LAT), Lesotho Teachers Training Unions (LTTU), and Lesotho’s Schools Principals Association (LESPA,) said due to the many challenges facing teachers in Lesotho, which the Ministry of Education and Training does not solve according to the contract they signed on the 11th September 2018, all teachers in Lesotho will embark on a strike starting from today, based on the decision of the Lesotho Labour Court on the 6th September 2018.

The General Secretary of LTTU Mrs ‘Mapitso Molai, said after their negotiations with the Ministry of Education and Training, which resulted in the signing of a contract between them on the 11th September 2018, and the suspension of the previous teachers massive strike, the Ministry of Education seems not to be obeying the terms of that contract.

She said on the 7th November 2018, the ministry announced its progress in attending teachers concerns about their working conditions, even thought it did not address the main points.

Mrs Molai said the ministry indicated that it did not have enough money to review the teachers’ career and salary structure, and this shows that the ministry plans to lose its case in court, so that this issue ends up failing.

She expressed issues which include the fact that up until now, the Ministry of Education has not paid the utility grant to primary schools, and it looks like it is not intending to pay teachers’ salaries arrears.