Workers at Rhodes University will embark on industrial action after wage talks deadlocked.
Rhodes said in a statement Wednesday that it had received notification from the National, Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, Nehawu, of its members’ intention to embark on three days of “protected industrial action”.
These will consist of lunch-hour pickets on Thursday and Friday, with a march planned for next Tuesday to the Great Hall where a memorandum will be presented to management.
Rhodes said that the union had rejected a wage offer of five percent, which the University said was a “bitter pill” to swallow taking into account the rate of inflation.
The Institution said that the wage offer also highlighted the “serious risk to the sustainability of the institution of increasing the current deficit budget to fund salaries”.
“Institutions of higher learning generally and Rhodes University in particular, have had to deal with a tough economic situation in the past two years owing, in part, to dwindling state subsidy and a combination of other financial pressures,” Rhodes said.
“For the past 18 months, the Vice Chancellor, Dr Sizwe Mabizela, has been meeting both unions regularly to apprise them of the financial situation of the University,” the University said.
“The University respects the worker’s right to participate in legal industrial action. We continue to engage in the hope of finding a workable and lasting solution for all parties involved,” said Dr Mabizela.
Nehawu regional secretary, Siyabonga Kobese, said that it was “unacceptable” for Rhodes to offer a below inflation rate increase.
“"Under these economic difficulties we believe that we cannot allow a situation where the institution can offer less than inflation rate increase. Hence the workers have decided to embark on action starting tomorrow (Thurs) with picketing. Next week they will also be engaging on other actions," he said.
