Employees say repeated salary delays and poor communication have left them anxious, unpaid and demoralised.
Demoralised workers at Unisa Enterprise, the commercial arm of the University of South Africa (Unisa), have made an impassioned plea to the university’s management committee to intervene after months of salary payment delays.
In a memorandum dated 21 July, employees expressed frustration over what they described as recurring and poorly communicated delays in salary payments for three consecutive months: May, June and July.
Salary delays and lack of communication
The memorandum, signed by multiple staff members, pointed out that the situation was “unsustainable and detrimental” to both morale and performance.
According to the leaked memorandum, May salaries were paid late for senior staff. In June, only half of employees’ salaries were processed on payday, with no clarity on when the balance would follow.
In July, workers were informed that no payments would be made at all, with management allegedly failing to provide an alternative payment date.
The workers accuse management of providing “last-minute and vague communication” about the financial crisis, leaving staff uncertain about their livelihoods while still being expected to meet work obligations.
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The workers state in the memo that the uncertainty has deepened anxiety and affected productivity. Beyond salaries, the memorandum reveals an ostensibly worsening financial situation that threatens the company’s operations.
The workers also reveal in the memo that the company is not compliant with the South African Revenue Service, hindering its eligibility for government tenders – a key revenue source.
According to the memorandum, payments to suppliers have also been delayed, further straining operations.
Workers call for Unisa to take over salary payments
The staff members called on the university to directly assume the responsibility of salary payments to ensure timely disbursement and consider relocating the offices of Unisa Enterprise to the university premises to reduce rental costs.
In the memorandum, the staff members also raise “the absence of a clear financial recovery plan or consistent updates has left staff demoralised”.
“We respectfully urge the Unisa management committee to intervene and provide support in resolving the financial difficulties facing Unisa Enterprise.”
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History of financial and governance challenges
Unisa Enterprise, which was established to drive the university’s commercial and innovation ventures, has faced financial and governance challenges in recent years.
A senior staff member who asked not to be named, said working for the company has become extremely stressful.
“The company has been in financial crisis for over a year now but there is no plan in place to change the situation.
“As workers, without salaries, we have been unable to keep up without financial obligations,” the staffer said.
The latest appeal brings into sharp focus the growing instability within the entity and concerns about its sustainability.
Unisa Enterprise CEO Lesetsa Matshekga had not replied to a list of specific questions regarding the situation by the time of publishing.
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