No end in sight for TVET strike

Employees affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), at the Mbombela Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) campus, have threatened to intensify their strike until their demands are met.

The workers, who include TVET lecturers and supporting staff, have been on strike since February 14. Also involved in the strike are employees from the Community Education Training (CET) colleges, formerly known as the adult basic education and training.

Nehawu members have been picketing at all campuses for the past two weeks, joining the nationwide strike.

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Their demands include full-time employment for contract workers and the realignment of the TVET sector.

According to Edith Wallace, Nehawu shop steward, the employees were striking over poor working conditions and salary benefits.

She said the strike commenced at all TVET campuses and CET colleges on February 14 and will run indefinitely until all their demands are met by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

“As workers we are making our voices heard, and we are sending a strong message to the department that we shall no longer tolerate being exploited and subjected to horrible working conditions.

Our members have been patient since 2015, and now their patience has run out, hence they have decided to withdraw their labour power in a quest to twist the arm of the employer to accede to our genuine and reasonable demands,” she said.

She said the issues that have culminated in the strike have been before the bargaining council since April 2015. The department, under the stewardship of Felix Qonde, dismally failed to address their issues even after the march they had in November 2017.

Meanwhile, first-year students from TVET colleges in the Ehlanzeni Region have pleaded with the department’s senior managers and Nehawu to find an amicable solution, as the strike is affecting their studies.

Mxolisi Nzimande, TVET spokesman, could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print. He was reported to be on leave.

Their demands include

• Since migration in 2015, members’ salaries and other benefits have been stagnant. As such, the college personnel are now paid less than their counterparts in the public service. It is demanded that this is addressed through proper implementation of performance bonuses and grade progression.

The department’s new persal system does not recognise service records acquired prior to migration. This means staff members who were previously on the college payroll for 15 or more years are currently not receiving grade progression benefits, because the system only recognised the experience acquired from after migration in April 2015.

The dispute emanated when the employer refused to correct the system, saying that public service does not recognise the college’s service record.

• No deduction of pension benefits for CET college employees. This matter affects approximately 11 000 lecturers inherited after the migration process in the different regions.

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