Durban - Wage negotiations between the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and the unions are on the verge of collapse and the strike may resume.
Three unions led by the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) were locked in a briefing with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and then with other union leaders on Wednesday.
The CCMA is tasked with leading the negotiations after relations between DUT and the unions broke down, making negotiations without a mediator impossible.
Mike Mbatha, Nehawu leader at DUT, said there was a real possibility that the strike might resume today after they briefed their members on the outcome of the negotiations.
The strike, which lasted more than five weeks, had turned acrimonious.
Negotiations only resumed after the intervention of the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela.
It impacted on the academic calendar as students could not be registered or attend classes.
The academic programme resumed this week after the strike was partially called off subject to the progress of the negotiations.
“We are going to have a mass meeting and brief the members (Thursday). The truth of the matter is that we are coming back with nothing from these negotiations,” Mbatha said.
He said there were still many other sticking points, including a compromise on how the management will implement the “no work, no pay policy”.
DUT spokesperson Alan Khan earlier told The Mercury that negotiations between the university and the unions were still continuing, under the guidance of the CCMA.