JOHANNESBURG - The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) on Monday reached an agreement with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to bring to an end a 4-day strike over entry salary levels and also announced a once off gratuity ranging from R4,500 to R8,500 for all employees.
Nehawu General Secretary Zola Saphetha said the package which workers accepted as basis of suspending the strike contains agreements to address salary anomalies for entry level for administrators to be moved from R175,156 per annum to R209,421 per annum.
Entry level for senior finance administrators will move from R209,156 per annum to R289,336 and entry level for board committee specialists to be moved from R289,336 per annum to R359,313.
“The change of entry levels as reflected above came with a victory that those already in the employ in such posts means change of new salaries will be backdated to 1st November 2017,” said Saphetha.
“The agreement also includes the permanent absorption of 75 employees whose contracts were coming to an end at the end of April 2018.
"The union has further scored a victory of a once off gratuity ranging from R4,500 to R8,500 for all employees who are part of the bargaining unit whilst both parties committed themselves on making performance management to work for the next financial year."
Saphetha said the other important victory was that of the development of a sexual harassment policy and review of recruitment policy to ensure favoritism and abuse of power was fought tooth and nail in the workplace.
Parties also agreed on agency fee agreement, but the exact amount of what should be paid was yet to be finalised.
“The union would like to register its appreciation to all its members whom despite some veiled threats of losing their jobs, or not having their contracts renewed remained determined to fight for what is just as informed by their reasonable demands,” Saphetha said.