National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) employees returned to work on Tuesday after the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) reached an agreement with NSFAS to increase the salary budget of the bargaining unit by 4.5%.

Nehawu members working at NSFAS went on a two-week strike following a wage negotiation deadlock between the two parties.

The collective R6 296 429 will be applied on a sliding scale.

The two parties reached an agreement on Monday, stating that an increase of 6% and a non-recurring once-off amount of R1 457.74 will be granted to employees on wage levels 3 to 8, while those on levels 9 ­to 10 will receive an increase of 3% and level 11 to 12 will receive an increase of 1%.

The salary increases will be effected on October 30 and backdated to April 1, 2020. 

Both the parties acknowledged an urgent need to build and maintain relations among the parties.

“A concurrence was reached to utilise and involve the services of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration for a relationship building and a pre-salary negotiation workshop before the start of 2021 salary negotiations. Both parties have committed to binding themselves to the workshops