Strike shuts Unisa down

WAGE TALKS DEADLOCKED

ALL campuses of Unisa across the country were shut down yesterday, as lecturers and administrative workers embarked on a pay strike.

The mass action, led by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), broke out just a day before the last day of student registrations.

Nehawu is demanding a salary increase of 10%, while Unisa’s management was offering 4.5%. The union initially insisted on 14% increments.

Protesting workers blocked entrances at the campuses. They also gathered at these entry points, singing and dancing.

A large uprooted tree was placed at an entrance used by cars at the Sunnyside campus in Pretoria. A tyre was burnt at the driveway leading to the university’s administrative campus in Muckleneuk, also in Pretoria.

Students who wanted to access campuses for registration were turned away.

Unisa’s spokesman, Martin Ramotshela, told Sowetan none of the campuses operated.

“We can confirm the industrial action was nationwide. As a result, we’ve not been able to open any of our campuses across the country,” he said.

The university had yet to decide if it would extend registration yesterday.

It recognised, though, that the strike “naturally” had an impact on students, Ramotshela said.

But talks between Nehawu and Unisa deadlocked yesterday. Negotiators sat from about 10am to 1pm.

Nehawu’s national spokesman, Khaya Xaba, said management called them to further talks when the strike erupted yesterday morning.

“We agreed to meet them. When we went there they asked us what is it that we wanted. We decided to also meet them halfway and said 10%, hoping that they would also come towards us.

“They decided to remain where they are at 4.5%. So, based on that, we’ve now realised that they are very arrogant and they are not willing to negotiate,” Xaba said.

“So, the strike will continue up until they are willing to negotiate and meet us in the middle.”

But Ramotshela said negotiations were continuing. “Even now, as we speak, there was a meeting with the negotiating team of the union to try and resolve the strike.

“Unfortunately, it did not yield any results around the issue of the percentage movement. But that line of communication will be kept open,” he said.

Ramotshela said the 4.5% offer was based on assessments of what Unisa could afford. He said the institution has been operating on a deficit of close to R1-billion in the past two years.