Johannesburg — GAUTENG teachers face more salary deductions linked to this year's month-long public sector strike, after the Labour Court yesterday dismissed a union's urgent application to have the deductions declared illegal.

The Gauteng chapter of the Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU) was considering its options after Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Ronald Hendricks dismissed the union's application with costs.

"We are extremely disappointed. We have proof that (our members) only went on strike for one day and they completed attendance registers, but still deductions were made ... We are even contemplating declaring a dispute in the (Education Labour Relations Council)," said Chris Klopper, Gauteng SAOU secretary.

The Labour Court had ordered that the Gauteng education department could not make any deductions until it had decided on the application.

The matter has not yet been set down on the Labour Court's general roll.

The union earlier this month won two similar actions brought against the Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal education departments, with a court order against the KwaZulu-Natal department and an out-of-court settlement reached with the Limpopo department.

In both cases, the state was ordered to pay costs.

"I am not sure why the presiding officer ruled this way, he was the same judge who presided over the Limpopo case," said Klopper.

Gauteng education department spokeswoman Kate Bapela said that it was "most unfortunate" the union had resorted to litigation because the department had undertaken to rectify erroneous deductions if proof was provided.

"It is impossible and morally incorrect for us to make deductions if the teachers were at school," she said.

The union alleges that its members downed chalk for only one day -- June 1, the first day of the strike -- and that the department has deducted up to 13 days' pay from teachers' salaries.

It was concerned that the deductions would continue into the holiday season, with the November payroll to be processed from tomorrow .

"We feel victimised, but we have to accept the court's ruling for now," Klopper said.

The union last week rejected a request for a settlement from the Gauteng state attorneys because an agreement reached with the Limpopo education department had not yet been honoured.