Rhodes University workers go on wage protest

National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape are to stage industrial action over three days after wage negotiations hit deadlock.

Rhodes said yesterday it had received notification from Nehawu that the action would take the form of lunch-hour picketing today and tomorrow.

Next Tuesday, the union would march to the Great Hall to hand a memorandum to management.

The union has rejected a revised offer of a 5% salary adjustment for 2017.

In a statement, the university referred to the rejection as a “bitter pill to swallow”, taking into account the rate of inflation and the serious risk to the sustainability of the institution posed by increasing the current deficit budget to fund salaries.

During negotiations, the university said a single percentage increase in the remuneration bill would be equivalent to R4 million.

Rhodes University said institutions of higher learning generally have had to deal with a tough economic situation over the past two years owing to dwindling state subsidies and a combination of other financial pressures.

Vice-chancellor Sizwe Mabizela had been meeting both unions represented at the institution regularly for the past 18 months to apprise them of the financial situation.

The university leadership had also highlighted the crucial financial choices faced by the institution.

It urged continued internal engagement and creative thinking by all stakeholders and presented a number of austerity measures to mitigate financial risk.

These included ongoing work around the academic size and shape needed for the university to become financially sustainable and a review of support operations with a view to reducing costs.

The university has to realise savings of just under R10 million in the 2017 financial year and an additional R28 million in 2018 to remain viable.

Mabizela said the university respected the workers’ right to strike and would engage the union leaders to resolve the impasse.

“The university respects the workers’ right to participate in legal industrial action.

“We continue to engage in the hope of finding a workable and lasting solution for all parties involved.” – ANA