The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training is expected to meet with Durban University of Technology management and labour representatives this week in an attempt to resolve the damaging wage dispute at the institution.
Deputy minister Buti Manamela will be visiting the university for the second time this year to talk after wage talks between management and unions including the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), National Tertiary Education Union (Nteu) and Tertiary Education National Union of South Africa (Tenusa), have failed to lead to a settlement.
Manamela said: “Since we cannot impose on either of the parties on what settlement to reach, our role can only be to encourage the parties to fast-track the negotiations.”
Manamela visited DUT earlier this month to urge the parties involved to resume wage talks, after they had collapsed.
The strike, which will enter its seventh week on Monday, started after unions had wanted a 10% wage increment, while the university offered 6.25%.
DUT to lock out striking workers
Workers revised their demands to a 8.25% wage increment and R9000 once off bonus and R400 housing allowance, but DUT management only improved their offer to a 6.5% increment.
Speaking for Nehawu at DUT, Mike Mbatha said they were hopeful that with the deputy minister’s intervention a favourable solution would be found.
“We believe that the Deputy Minister of Higher Education will be a positive influence.
“This strike will be entering its seventh week this Monday, we don’t want that. We want to return to work, to do what were employed to do,” said Mbatha.
Milton Estrice, chairperson of the Crisis Committee for staff, said: “The university has not been willing to negotiate.
“We’ve lowered our demands in an effort to meet them at a lower percentage, but Vice-Chancellor Thandwa Mthembu made it clear very early in the talks that he was not willing to negotiate. His offer was final from the word go.”
On February 20, the university implemented the “no work, no pay” principle.
Alan Khan, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at the university, said: “DUT implemented the ‘No work no pay’ principle, as per the Labour Relations Act, No 66 of 1995 . The unions were aware of the ‘No work no pay’ rule that was in place.”