Pretoria - The strike at the University of South Africa (Unisa) has been called off with immediate effect following a protracted salary negotiation process which started in August 2017, the university said in a statement.
An agreement facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) in terms of section 150 of the Labour Relations Act was reached on Friday, Unisa said.
This process had been conducted taking into account the financial situation of the university and the realities experienced by the sector.
"The situation has been compounded by various factors affecting the fiscus as well as uncertainty linked to policy changes within the sector. The latest fee free higher education is yet to be clearer in terms of this impact later this year. Against this backdrop it is clear that the negotiations remained challenging. Consequently, Unisa continues to seek an optimal balance among these demanding challenges to ensure institutional agility and efficacy," Unisa said.
In terms of the collective agreement signed by the parties, permanent and fixed-term employees would receive a differentiated salary increase of 7.5 percent and a special dispensation for the insourced employees.
The principal and vice chancellor Professor Mandla Makhanya thanked Unisa staff for their continued commitment and patience during this period, the statement said.