Unisa insourcing dispute resolved

Unisa and representatives of outsourced workers in Pretoria said that they had resolved their dispute on wage hikes and insourcing of workers.

Johannesburg – The University of South Africa (Unisa) and representatives of outsourced workers in Pretoria said on Wednesday that they had resolved their dispute on wage hikes and insourcing of workers.

Unisa spokesperson Martin Ramotshela said the strike had been called off with “immediate effect” following the agreement with a Multi Stakeholder Task Team.

Unisa Academic and Professional Staff Association (APSA) General Secretary, Boitumelo Senokoane, confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

“The agreement was reached verbally, but what we want now is a written agreement in order for it to be official,” Senokoane said.

Representatives of outsourced workers at Unisa, students and university management spent hours on Tuesday night discussing the demands of workers, who had threatened to shut down all the university’s campuses if their demands were not met.

During the meeting, outsourced workers demanded that Unisa speed up the process of insourcing. The workers said they were unhappy with the institution’s inability to meet their demands. They threatened to shut down Unisa’s Sunnyside campus in protest. The workers also said they would not work until all their demands were met.

Senokoane said the workers were unhappy that four outsourced workers had been fired. They demanded that the fired workers be reinstated and “insourced immediately” and that the unviersity show commitment towards “insourcing and wage top-up” for low income employees.

The workers also made demands on management to implement measures that would ensure that they would not be victimised for going on strike when they return to work.

On Tuesday, the workers downed tools to press Unisa management and service providers to “kept to their initial agreement” of a wage increase, permanent contracts and the reinstatement of fired workers.

In a statement Ramotshela said the institution had agreed to immediately reinstate two workers, who had been fired by a security service provider.

“Their outstanding salaries for January and February 2016 will be paid with immediate effect,” said Ramotshela.

Senokoane said: “The parties agreed that three dismissed employees that Red Alert are refusing to re-instate will be absorbed by Unisa on fixed-term contracts until the finalisation of the insourcing process.”

The agreement also included signing off on study benefits for workers and their dependants.

“The parties reaffirmed their earlier agreement that the study benefits will be extended to the affected workers and their dependents with immediate effect and be governed by the existing Unisa policy on this issue,” said Ramotsheba.

Ramotsheba said the university’s management would meet later on Wednesday to further discuss issues relating to the insourcing of workers.

“This meeting intends to emerge with an agreed proposal on the modalities of insourcing that must be submitted urgently to the meeting of the Executive of Council on Thursday March 3, 2016 for ratification,” said Ramotsheba.

The agreement came after two months of protests. Workers were demanding R8 000 in wages instead of the R2 500 they get monthly from service providers who were contracted to Unisa. They were also demanding the reinstatement of dismissed workers and the insourcing of workers.

African News Agency

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