Workers At Unisa Declare a Nationawide Strike Over Wage Negotiations

NEHAWU members of Unisa

NEHAWU members at the University of South Africa {Unisa} have downed their tools, starting today, 16 April 2013, after salary negotiations collapsed at the Unisa Bargaining Forum (UBF).

Salary negotiations commenced with the employer pitching their offer at a lamentable and shameful 5.3%. Labour (both Nehawu and Apsa) pitched their initial demand at 12% and later adjusted their demands by 0.3%, same as the employer. The Employer’s offer was even below the Consumer Price Index. They adjusted this with a measly and insulting 0.3% offer to 5.6%.

The parties are still deadlocked with the unions still demanding a wage of 11, 7% across the board and the employer still offering 5,6%. The matter was referred to the CCMA and a certificate of non-resolution was issued. These negotiations have been characterized by dishonesty and thoughtlessness on the side of the employer.

Historically, our union has had very acrimonious relations with the university management under the previous leadership. Our initial reaction to the appointment of Professor Makhanya to replace the Barney Pityana was to oppose it because we felt that Prof Makhanya formed part of a core group that bullied and dismissed the views of stakeholders under the previous administration. We later threw our weight behind the new administration of Professor Makhanya for the sake of the institution’s stability and cordial relations between the union and the university.

The latest decision of the administration to mock and insult the workers with this low salary increase offer is a smack in the face to the workers and will strain the relations. The excuse about the lack of resources will not hold, when one looks at ridiculous expenditure of the institution. The 55 member management of Unisa shared R19million amongst themselves as bonuses last year while over 4 500 university employees shared R40million for bonuses. This is obscene and crass for an institution that is supposed to reflect the values of moral regeneration.

They have spent more money budgeting for labour brokers than for salaries of their own staff. Each Executive Director at Unisa has between four to five {4-5} consultants working under him/her with millions of rands spent to compensate them. In the year 2012, management budgeted R68 Million for labour brokers while in 2013 more than R70 Million was budgeted for them.

We therefore demand a total ban of labour brokers, a system that is unanimously regarded as human trafficking and modern-day slavery. We also demand that the more than R70 Million budgeted for labour brokers be used to supplement a budget for 2013 salary increases.

Our union is unmoved and demands a decent increase for the workers and transparency from the university. We are concerned about the impact this will have on learners but hope that sanity will prevail and Unisa will review their demeaning offer to workers.

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat Office