Unisa terminates employment of five staff members as illegal strike continues
Nehawu has promised to do everything in its power to defend the five fired union members as claims of their employment contracts being “unlawfully” terminated by Unisa.
Unisa last week terminated the employment of five staff members who reportedly disrupted a graduation ceremony earlier this year.
The employees have been on precautionary suspension since April 19, according to Unisa spokesperson Edgar Rathelele.
He said their contracts were terminated immediately last Friday for violations of the Unisa ethics code and employee disciplinary code.
During the incident, National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members invaded a hall during a graduation ceremony.
A pepper spray canister was discharged during the melee, causing “considerable panic and discomfort to students, guests and staff”.
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“The dismissed employees had been violating their terms of suspension,” said Rathelele.
“They have been inciting public violence, malicious property damage, organising and also leading the forceful disruption of graduation ceremonies in violation of a court order.”
By blocking university entrances, the planned autumn graduations were brought to a halt while other employees could not report for work, Rathelele said.
Since their dismissals, the illegal protest was still ongoing at the learning institution.
He said the university’s management had a duty to protect the academic programme, preserve Unisa’s image and reputation as well as ensure that staff and students were safe.
“Management valued the role that organised labour should play in the co-construction of a future Unisa and its doors are always open for engagement with them in an open, democratic and dignified manner.”
Repeated efforts by Unisa management to meet with Nehawu since the first disruption of graduations on March 15 have been rejected, he said.
Unisa has since urged all employees taking part in the illegal strike to desist and to immediately report for duty.
“The university will apply a no-work-no pay rule for employees participating in the illegal and unprotected strike.”
It also reserved the right to take disciplinary action against such employees, which may include dismissal if found guilty.
Nehawu said it was disappointed by the decision to “unlawfully” terminate their shop stewards’ employment contract.
“It is clear that the dismissal of our shop stewards was predetermined by the vice-chancellor,” said acting national Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Koloti.
“From the onset when letters of precautionary suspension and intention to institute disciplinary action were issued, the vice-chancellor didn’t follow the legal requirement in terms of the labour relations act.”
Koloti said Nehawu had raised this matter with the vice-chancellor, “but he choose to ignore it”.
Koloti said the union would not “stand by idly while its shop stewards and members are victimised”.
“We will be consulting with our lawyers to secure a legal opinion on the matter while considering mobilising members on a course of action in defence of our members and workers.”
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