Pretoria - The graduation events scheduled for Tuesday evening and yesterday at Unisa were postponed by disgruntled support staff.
In addition, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) plans to continue the shutdown of all campuses until the university has adjusted salaries owed to staff in administration and support.
This was made clear by the chairperson of the union at Unisa Lunathi Hontoti yesterday morning, when members gathered at ZK Matthews Great Hall in Pretoria’s main campus.
He said: “These adjustments were effected for other colleagues in junior management and academic staff, but were not effected for the colleagues from Grade 7 to Grade 8.
“Later on, on January 16, there was a collective agreement signed between Nehawu and the university management, which is not being honoured. Members of Nehawu then decided to go into an industrial action to demonstrate and show the employer their frustration around the issue.”
He said according to the collective agreement, staff from Grade 7 to Grade 10 were supposed to received a 3% salary increase. Their Grade 11 to Grade 16 counterparts were to receive a 7% salary increase.
He said Unisa failed to implement these adjustments for administration and support staff but they were not sure what the problem was because it could not complain about funds considering that they know about the financials of the institution.
“They really cannot complain about money after the financial spree vice-chancellor and principal Professor Puleng LenkaBula has been going on.
“We also sit in the university council and thus know if we are in a healthy financial state or not.
“We know the university has money. We have a mandate from our members to continue with the picket and demonstrations until our demands are met and that is what we are going to do.”
Following the protest, graduations that had been scheduled for Tuesday evening and yesterday were postponed. Unisa spokesperson Edgar Rathele said: “Unisa would like to extend its sincerest apologies to the graduates and guests who were inconvenienced by the disruption of the graduation ceremony by protesting members of Nehawu.
“The university will endeavour to make alternative arrangements for the graduates who have been inconvenienced by the disruption.”
However, Hontoti said Unisa was dishonest because it gave the union permission to hold its meeting in ZK Matthews Great Hall.
“They never said there were graduations… and we have proof to this effect.”
Pretoria News