Cape Town – Students and workers at the University of the Western Cape have petitioned management to insource all services on campus.
Shaheed Mahomed, who is assisting their campaign, said that “there has been a long struggle for insourcing and management had consistently refused to budge on their stance of outsourcing”.
“All the universities around the country are concerned about UWC’s stance because it is a potential flashpoint,” said Mahomed.
Asanda Blackie, UWC's student council president, said that the petition was in support of 143 security guards who were dismissed by the outsourced company Securitas.
“The university must employ all the workers because it is cheaper, whereas outsourcing is more expensive. But they refuse to do (so) and want to extend the contract of the outsource companies operating on campus,” said Blackie.
Mahomed said there had been a “fantastic development" when workers spoke to vice-chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius.
But the university’s communications manager, Luthando Tyhalibongo, said: “With regards to insourcing, the university’s position on this matter has been clear and consistent for the past two years."
"UWC will be unable to absorb outsourced workers without facing retrenchments and possible bankruptcy in the immediate years to come."
Tyhalibongo said the university had limited financial resources and had being paying extra to workers since December 2015, as well as offered outsourced workers, their spouses and children a study rebate.
Meanwhile, Cosatu has sent a letter to Pretorius stating as “matter of urgency that UWC insources the workers”.