Negotiations have been ongoing since Friday, 26 May but for the past two weeks the strike has intensified with staff loudly protesting on campus and blowing vuvuzelas.
Negotiations have been ongoing since Friday, 26 May but for the past two weeks the strike has intensified with staff loudly protesting on campus and blowing vuvuzelas.
According to a media release issued by the university yesterday, the protesters have disrupted lectures, damaged property, intimidated staff and students as well construction workers. Management says such behaviour will not be tolerated and that a few incidents have been dealt with internally. Students were also urged to report any forms of vandalism or intimidation.
Meanwhile, Sam Mzwanga, a NEHAWU shop steward, says union members vandalising and interrupting lectures on campus is not true. "There was no vandalism or interruptions on campus, it’s all green lies because the protest was peaceful," he insisted.
Student impact
Nevertheless the strike has severely affected student life on campus and students have been complaining about having to carry out some daily tasks themselves, such as cleaning and preparing food.
In an email sent to Rhodes students and staff, the Student Representative Council (SRC) states that "no student shall be forced to perform tasks or services that they have paid for, against their will."
The SRC are also spearheading a protest organised by students which will take place at 1.15pm today (7 August).
Negotiation stalemate
Rhodes University management has rejected proposals tabled by NEHAWU regarding monies allocated for increasing the salaries for support staff.
Rhodes University and NEHAWU engaged in a discussion on Wednesday in order to resolve the dispute. NEHAWU then proposed that "a further amount of R150 000 should be added to the R850 000 which is already allocated for grades 1 to 5 staff, bringing it to R1-million.”
Grades 1 to 5 are comprised of support staff such as caterers, cleaners and messengers. The union also stated that the additional R150 000 should be distributed among staff as part of their basic monthly salary. In terms of the no work, no pay policy, the union says "it should not apply".
In response, Rhodes management rejected the tabled proposals and proposed that the R150 000 be distributed as a once-off payment to staff members who don’t benefit from the council’s salary decision. Management firmly states that the no work, no pay policy will be applied.
While briefing the media at Alumni House on Wednesday, Rhodes director of Human Resources, Sarah Fischer, said "Rhodes rejected the proposals because it is against all the university’s necessary adjustment policies."
Since the union referred the matter to the Commission of Conciliation and Mediation Arbitration (CCMA) in July, Fischer says the dispute has remained unresolved. According to the Vice-Chancellor, Saleem Badat, the union’s demands were greatly at odds with the goal of moving all support staff towards the 50th percentile- which is an average for the jobs on the same grade and/or position. Therefore allocating the money demanded by NEHAWU is "inequitable and unfair” on other support staff.
He also says, "As management we commit ourselves to work with the union to find a resolution."
Rhodes says their doors are open if NEHAWU wants to negotiate or table further proposals.
