Durban - Unions at the Durban University Technology are intensifying their strike and now plan to take it on the road.
On Tuesday, the striking workers led by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and Tertiary Education National Union of SA (Tenusa) will march to the DUT city campus.
Later in the week, the workers will march to the former Sultan campus, and on Friday they will march at the Riverside campus in Pietermaritzburg. The strike first started at the Steve Biko campus.
DUT registration still on hold
Their strike, which entered its 11th day on Monday has been peaceful, but police were called in on Monday to monitor proceedings. Earlier in the morning there as an incident between workers and security guards. The workers, while marching, had wandered into an area where they were not permitted.
A video of the incident showed security guards running among the workers and sounds of rubber bullets being fired. No one was injured.
Spokesperson for the crisis committee (unions), Milton Estrice, said they were in waiting for management to come to the table. “We have intensified our strike and we have also engaged management at national level.”
He said their national leadership would be engaging with the Department of Higher Education and Training on a number of levels including the political level.
Milton said it seemed DUT management was “not interested” in resolving the strike. “Other universities like Unisa where employees had gone on strike before we did have settled their strikes.”
“The workers are demanding a 10% wage increase while the university is pleading poverty and has said it does not have the money.”
Alan Khan, the Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at DUT, said the institution was committed to resolving the deadlock.
“Last week the university stated that an independent mediator is needed to break the deadlock and that position still stands."