The SA Students Congress (Sasco) and the National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) have joined forces to shut down the University of SA‚ forcing potential students to abandon their applications and registrations at the university's Sunnyside campus in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The two formations have c
onsolidated their myriad of demands to the university‚ with Sasco saying it was practical for students to be in solidarity with the union as the workers were their parents.
Nehawu has deadlocked with Unisa management on the union’s demand for a 12% wage increase‚ with the university management offering 4.5%.
Sasco is demanding‚ among other things‚ the scrapping of students’ historic debt and the abolishment of application and registration fees.
Ntsako Nombelane‚ Nehawu’s national organiser‚ said they have shut down all campuses of the university‚ saying the campuses will remain shut until their demands are met.
He said they were willing to settle for 9% if the university management was willing to negotiate in good faith‚ adding that the attitude of the institution’s management was to stick to its 4.5% offer.
“Our compromise was rejected by the university in August last year already but this time we are not backing down. The campuses will remain shut until our demands are met‚” Nombelane said.
He said their members ranged from academic staff down to the cleaners and gardeners‚ saying the lowest paid worker at the university earned about R6‚500.
Nombelane said what the university was offering would make no difference in the lives of their members as this was below the consumer price index (CPI).
“The university is not paying according to the higher education market. Unisa can afford the over 9% increase‚” he said.
Nombelane said the university would be forced to suspend the re-opened application and registration process.
Sphiwe Morema‚ SASCO’s Unisa branch secretary‚ said it was pointless for students to continue applying to the university when there were critical issues that needed to be addressed first.
“Potential students have to fork out money to apply and register but they are the poorest of the poor. NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) was supposed to have confirmed applications by now but no student has received confirmation from the scheme. This is a tactic to exclude students‚” he said.
Morema said safety was also a major concern at the university’s campuses‚ saying security was lax and students were being raped on campus.
Sasco‚ Nehawu shut down Unisa
The two formations have c
onsolidated their myriad of demands to the university‚ with Sasco saying it was practical for students to be in solidarity with the union as the workers were their parents.
Nehawu has deadlocked with Unisa management on the union’s demand for a 12% wage increase‚ with the university management offering 4.5%.
Sasco is demanding‚ among other things‚ the scrapping of students’ historic debt and the abolishment of application and registration fees.
Ntsako Nombelane‚ Nehawu’s national organiser‚ said they have shut down all campuses of the university‚ saying the campuses will remain shut until their demands are met.
He said they were willing to settle for 9% if the university management was willing to negotiate in good faith‚ adding that the attitude of the institution’s management was to stick to its 4.5% offer.
“Our compromise was rejected by the university in August last year already but this time we are not backing down. The campuses will remain shut until our demands are met‚” Nombelane said.
He said their members ranged from academic staff down to the cleaners and gardeners‚ saying the lowest paid worker at the university earned about R6‚500.
Nombelane said what the university was offering would make no difference in the lives of their members as this was below the consumer price index (CPI).
“The university is not paying according to the higher education market. Unisa can afford the over 9% increase‚” he said.
Nombelane said the university would be forced to suspend the re-opened application and registration process.
Sphiwe Morema‚ SASCO’s Unisa branch secretary‚ said it was pointless for students to continue applying to the university when there were critical issues that needed to be addressed first.
“Potential students have to fork out money to apply and register but they are the poorest of the poor. NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) was supposed to have confirmed applications by now but no student has received confirmation from the scheme. This is a tactic to exclude students‚” he said.
Morema said safety was also a major concern at the university’s campuses‚ saying security was lax and students were being raped on campus.
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