The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) will intensify the strike at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
The management at the institution refuses to treat workers like human beings and pay them a living wage. We also demand an end to labour brokers and insourcing. NUMSA won a labour appeals court decision last year which confirms that temporary workers become permanent employees after 3 months. We are determined to eradicate precarious forms of employment from all workplaces once and for all.
Below are some of our demands:
• We demand a 12% increase across the board, whilst the university is only offering 8%
• We demand that 85 contract workers be insourced immediately.
• We demand that they abolish grade 16 and 17 so that the lowest earners wages can increase from R7500 to R9000 per month.
• We demand that the night shift allowance be increased from R360 to R800
We are aware that the strike will have an impact on learning and teaching when the university opens on Monday. However, this was a situation created by a stubborn management team. Wits University is shamelessly perpetuating inequality and exploitation by refusing to pay a living wage. Our members are some of the lowest earners and they had no choice but to go on strike.
Furthermore, we do not accept their claims of poverty because the university seems to have an unlimited budget for bouncers which are used to harass students who are fighting for free education.
We are grateful for the solidarity which the students have shown us during the strike. The majority of them are children of working class parents and therefore they support us as we fight for dignity and equality for our families at Wits University. We pledge our support and solidarity for their struggle to access free education.
NUMSA will intensify the strike and therefore on Sunday we will stage a picket and protest on campus to highlight our demands.
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!
Issued by Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
NUMSA Acting spokesperson
0833767725
phakamileh@numsa.org.za