After a lengthy and fractious negotiation process, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has accepted a 6.5% salary increase for academic staff and a 7.55% for Grade 6-17 workers from Rhodes University management.

After a lengthy and fractious negotiation process, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has accepted a 6.5% salary increase for academic staff and a 7.55% for Grade 6-17 workers from Rhodes University management.

The union has also agreed to Rhodes management's proposal that all full-time support staff should work a minimum of 40 hours per week.

However, the union negotiated flexible working hours for staff in the implementation of the 40-hour week.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the NTEU executive said that after "a lengthy and trying negotiation process, a large number of our constituents voted to accept management's offer".

The wage increases will be paid with the May pay run and will be back-dated to January 2014.

Rhodes claims to be making a saving of R209 921 on over-time in moving to a 40 hour work week.

NTEU initially opposed the introduction of the 40-hour week on the grounds that it would lead to a reduction in the per hour wages of its members.

The matter was referred to the CCMA, which deals with dispute resolution in the workplace by advising on how the situation should be resolved.

Comments are closed.