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The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] would like to take this opportunity to update both the media and the public on the ongoing strike action in universities.

University of South Africa (UNISA)

At Unisa, the national union is continuing with the total shutdown of all Unisa campuses across the country. This comes after management opted out of negotiations and approached the labour court in an attempt to nullify of our legal protected strike as per Sec 64 (a)-(i)-(ii) of the LRA without success. The CCMA has also issued NEHAWU with a certificate of non-resolution to that effect.

The demands of the national union remains as follows:

·A decent living wage of 10% across board,

·De-Guptarization of Unisa Council as captured on page 117 of State of Capture Report about Dr Mehlomakhulu (Deputy Chair of Council) and Dr Turfverson who is Chairperson of Ethics Committee of council despite being implicated on corruption) and who is also a partner to Minister Lynn Brown

·Insourcing of all ICT workers who have been casual workers for more than 15 years. UNISA behaves as if they are above the Law by not complying with the Labour Relations Act by not absorbing qualifying fixed term workers to permanent employees.

The Union has since invoked section 150 of the LRA and invited CMMA to come and try to assist parties to reach an agreement and to allow a smooth resumption of registration as per SASCO Right to learn Campaign and implementation of the first phase of free higher education.

The union calls upon all its members to remain unshaken and to continue with the strike until all its demands are met. We also call on the University to stop with militarization of the university.

Durban University of Technology (DUT)

The national union will continue with the industrial action this morning across all DUT campuses over deadlocked wage negotiations. NEHAWU rejects the revised offer of 6%. The union remains unshaken on its demand of a 10% increase across board, an increase of R400 on Housing allowance and once off R9000 bonus.

The national union will meet management on Monday at 10:30 to continue with discussions in an attempt to reach an agreement.

Wits University

NEHAWU has been on lunch hour pickets at Wits University for the past two weeks in an attempt to persuade management to come back to the bargaining table without success. The union will embark on a fully blown strike on Tuesday the 23rd January 2018 over a wage dispute after receiving a certificate of non-resolution. Wits is currently offering 6% across board plus 0.8% increase linked to performance.

The union demands are as follows:

·An Across the board Salary increase of 8%

·1% Medical aid increase

·Reinstatement of long term service awards in cash form

·Same condition of services for protection workers

·End of outsourcing of Sports Management

University of Pretoria (UP)

NEHAWU today will approach the CCMA after failed wage negotiations with management since last year October. A Joint Mass meeting was held on Friday to update members and to seek further mandate as we are worker controlled union. The meeting resolved as follows:

(a)    A demand of 9.5% across the board remains genuine as opposed to 6% offered by Management

(b)    That Alexandra Forbes’ monopoly with the university must be terminated, especially as a pension fund administrator due to their relationship with Steinhoff and as medical aid broker. It must also be noted that Alexandra Forbes has monopoly as pension fund administrators in higher education which must come to an end.

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat