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NEHAWU national leadership received a report from the representative of the union, who attended the meeting of relevant role players convened by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande to find solutions to the current protests. We have noted the inaccurate reports in some quarters of the media that the union has agreed with the proposal that fee increment must be capped at 6% and we reject such reports.  

While we appreciate the attempt by the Minister to intervene and the willingness of the key role players to partake in this process, as the national leadership we remain steadfast in our position as a union that education should be free. We are still adamant in our call that all university councils must reverse the decision to increase fees. They should focus on the pressing issues raised by the student-worker alliance.

Alternative avenues of funding universities must be explored, including the use of the financial reserves currently privatised by universities. This should herald the beginning of the process to find long lasting solutions to the issue of higher education funding. We are convinced that this interim arrangement will not negatively affect the financial situation of these institutions but the children of our members.

Our resolute position is informed by our understanding of the plight of the workers and their families. Workers are struggling to put food on the table and clothes on the back of their kids due to the economic downturn. By increasing study fees, they are being made to pay for something that is not of their own doing. They are not in charge of the economic policies that have led to the current dire situation.

We want to also reiterate our continued demand for unconditional eradication of outsourcing in institutions of higher learning. This negative phenomenon only serves to exacerbate the challenges of affordability faced by the working class children and their parents. This must be addressed immediately.

In his mid-term budget address in 2013 the Minister of Finance proposed the moderation of wage increases for public servants. That means that workers do not have money to afford these fee increases. We also demand a moratorium on fee increases until big business, the biggest beneficiaries of skills produced by universities, and government start paying workers decent wage increases. We pledge our solidarity with all the students and workers whose rights have been violated through unwarranted brutality and forced arrests.

Issued by NEHAWU