UCT food outlets in spotlight

151006. Cape Town. Dozens of UCT students marching from the Bremner building to vent their anger over the treatment of staff. Some workers, including gardeners, have downed tools and are being supported by student activists. Rhodes Must Fall says it will represent the staff in liaising with management to address their concerns. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

151006. Cape Town. Dozens of UCT students marching from the Bremner building to vent their anger over the treatment of staff. Some workers, including gardeners, have downed tools and are being supported by student activists. Rhodes Must Fall says it will represent the staff in liaising with management to address their concerns. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

Published Oct 8, 2015

Share

Cape Town - UCT will request an independent audit of the employment practices as well the wages paid by all food vendors at the university.

This announcement was made earlier this week and comes after several organisations called for a boycott of certain food vendor outlets on campus and in the same week as march calling for an end to outsourcing at universities.

“It has been brought to our attention that student groups have organised a boycott of some food vendor outlets on campus. The boycott is in response to allegations of victimisation of some workers at the food vendor outlets.

“It is also alleged that the company has not recognised the employees’ trade union,” the university said.

It said it recognised that all employers had to abide by the requirements of the relevant laws in trading and fair labour practice.

“The food vendors rent space from UCT but are otherwise independent of UCT and UCT has no rights to intervene in the relationship between the employer and their employees. We will, however, request an independent audit of the employment practices of and wages paid by all food vendors on campus.”

In a response to this, The UCT Left Students Forum, on its Facebook page, said UCT could choose to influence the contractors they pay. “UCT dictates, as a condition of its contracts with these companies, the minimum amount they must pay their employees.”

Earlier this week, UCT spokeswoman Patricia Lucas said the UCT council had called for a review of outsourcing last year. “The Report on Outsourcing at UCT, dated April 14, 2014, estimates the total additional costs of insourcing all services at the university would be R58 million a year, with additional upfront asset purchase costs of R68m.

“The university will not be able to absorb this cost without raising student tuition fees, and this would impair student access to UCT.”

[email protected]

Cape Argus

Related Topics: