Students locked out on first day at University of Pretoria

First years and other University of Pretoria (UP) students have either missed their first lectures or could not access the Hatfield campus as the gates were locked.

The university saw day three of disruptions at the hands of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), which is demonstrating outside the Hatfield campus for increased wages.

On February 19, the gates at one of the largest contact universities in Pretoria were locked when protesting staff obstructed their administration offices located at the Hatfield Campus in Pretoria east.

AfriForum Youth manager Ronald Peters said he was disappointed by the unrest at UP and of striking employees who were intimidating students and denying access to the main campus.

Peters said the first day of classes at the main campus of UP was met with chaos and the youth organisation demanded action.

He said a large number of the campus’ security personnel were part of the strike, which left campus security vulnerable.

“AfriForum Youth has sent an urgent letter to the university management imploring them to take action within an hour to stop all forms of intimidation and actions that hinder students’ movement on campus. In addition, the youth organisation maintains that UP management must now ensure students’ safety.”

He said the UP management had enough time to take the necessary precautions to ensure that the academic year kicked off without problems and that the strike did not interfere with classes and students’ safety, however, this was not the case.

“UP management must now fulfil their responsibility and ensure that students who want to enter or leave the campus can do so freely and without fear of intimidation. Students’ safety must now be prioritised,” Peters said.

In its urgent letter, AfriForum Youth offered to make private security services available to the university to help ensure the safety of students amid the explosive protest action at UP’s main campus. Meanwhile, the organisation is also monitoring the situation at the university’s other campuses.

In a statement, the university confirmed that students had difficulties entering the institution’s premises.

“We regret to inform you that certain striking staff members have illegally obstructed vehicles from entering the Hatfield campus premises.”

The university said it would engage with the police and the leadership of the unions to address the matter.

It said students who were unable to access their classes due to this disruption, were kindly implored to send an email to the faculty dean’s office to inform them of their absence and to discuss any necessary alternative arrangements.

“We will provide further updates as the situation develops. Your cooperation and understanding during this challenging time are greatly appreciated.”

The strike is allegedly part of a wage dispute between Nehawu and UP, which turned into a protected strike since last week.

Nehawu’s strike at UP began on February 15 after it had served the institution with a notice to strike.

The situation at the University of Pretoria where Nehawu members in Tshwane are pledging their support to their fellow Cdes who are embarking on an indifinite strike following wage negotiations deadlock pic.twitter.com/fNJ2OEzehX

— Mufuniwa Nthambe Gabara (@NthambeleniGab1) February 15, 2024

#NEHAWU in Gauteng Province will be embarking on a strike action at the University of Pretoria as from tomorrow [Thursday February 15, 2024] after serving the employer with a notice to strike on the 31st January 2024 pic.twitter.com/kltYPEXQPa

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) February 14, 2024

 

Nehawu Gauteng secretary Mzikayise Tshontshi said the strike was a result of a deadlock in salary negotiations after the employer rejected all their demands.

Tshontshi said Nehawu declared a dispute on November 28, 2023, after the employer made a final offer of 4%.

“The dispute was referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration [CCMA] on November 28, 2023, and parties were convened for conciliation on December 19, 2023 and January 12, 2024.

“The conciliation yielded no results and as a result, a strike certificate was issued.”

According to Tshontshi, UP had demonstrated that it cared less about workers.

“The employer continues to insult workers by offering a below Consumer Price Index [CPI] increase of 4%.”

Tshontshi vowed that Nehawu would embark on industrial action and the strike action would continue indefinitely until their demands were met by UP.

The following demands were made to UP:

– 7% increase
– 13th cheque
– Once-off bonus
– Five days leave
– Long service cash award at 10, 15 and 20 years

“Workers feel insulted and undermined by the management of the institution, which continues to give themselves fat annual bonuses while preaching ‘austerity measures’ to poor workers,” Tshontshi said.
“The austerity measures are applied selectively with annual bonuses for executive management, continued outsourcing for the very same services that were insourced, hosting fancy events, senior management enjoying luxury accommodation, travel and restaurants among other wasteful expenditures,” he said.

“Workers are aggrieved by the continued selective post-retirement contracts, refusal to grant workers permission to work from home and the worsening conditions of service with no pay progression, no performance bonuses and a below CPI increase in the last five years.

“It is important to highlight that workers made it categorically clear that they want the so-called performance bonus to be scrapped as it is applied inconsistently by line managers and also perpetuated inequality and unfairness by benefiting ‘friends of managers’,” he concluded.

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