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The National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] is preparing for a full-blown strike at the University of Pretoria after salary increment negotiations deadlocked.

NEHAWU members at the University had two mass meetings on May 05, 2017 and yesterday, on May 08, 2017 for purposes of getting a mandate and mapping a way forward in relation to the deadlocked negotiations. Both these meetings were preceded by meetings with the employer in the bargaining forum. The deadlock was reached on April 19, 2017 and subsequently we were issued with a certificate to strike by the CCMA.

Meetings with the employer (represented by senior management and the Vice-Chancellor) were held but did not yield any positive result to avert the situation. The union, in its general meeting, decided to have lunch hour pickets while serving the notice to strike.

Our demands to the University management are as follows:

• Our initial demand was 10% and we later moved to 8% while the employer offered 7% plus R3000 once off
• We demand the introduction of 13th cheques and the offer is to introduce it in 4years and the employer is refusing to bargain on modalities
• We demand the introduction of more medical aid scheme options as there is currently only one option which is very expensive for the workers. The employer want to impose schemes without the input of labour
• We demand the review of Post-retirement medical aid, the employer is refusing as it currently benefits only white staff members

Failure to resolve these issues in the next coming few days, workers will be left with no option but to go on a full-blown strike. Details of the strike will be communicated when the strike is about to commence.

Issued by NEHAWU