Workers fired after last year's #FeesMustFall protest at the UWC say vice-chancellor Tyrone Pretorius backtracked on his support to end outsourcing at the institution.
Guards and other outsourced workers at the university had been in talks with Pretorius.
Ntobeko Mfaxa, one of the 146 guards fired in October, said Pretorius had initially supported their call to end outsourcing at the university.
“He met with workers and student leaders, and said he was surprised that the process to in-source workers was not already under way.
"We have been out of work for six months and we believed there would finally be a breakthrough.”
He said “cutting out the middleman” would be more cost effective for UWC, but there were members of management within the university against this notion.
UWC EFF student representative Aviwe Yantolo said there was no separating the workers' plight from the student movement.
He said student leaders and workers were disappointed that Pretorius had changed his stance, and that he would have to carry the responsibility of what may follow.
He said a university subcommittee cof council is set to meet students and workers today, to discuss the matter so that a resolution could be reached.
University spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said the vice-chancellor had not stated any support of the workers' position, but had merely given them "an ear”.
“The university is financially not in a position to in-source and the outsourced workers will be given a further ear, and will meet with the economic sub-committee council.
"With regards to insourcing, UWC will be unable to absorb outsourced workers without facing retrenchments and possible bankruptcy in the immediate years to come.”
He said insourcing would not be possible in the immediate future and as an effort to support the outsourced workers, the university had been paying an extra site allowance per month since December 2015.
The outsourced workers were also offered a rebate to further their studies and those of their spouses and children.