Cape Town - While UCT has managed to douse industrial strike action by academic staff, it is now dealing with further looming action from the UCT Employees Union (UCTEU).
The Academics Union (AU) and UCT officially reached an agreement on a 6% salary increase, after an agreement was signed off on Friday.
This after the union and university management returned to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on Tuesday for consultations.
Wage negotiations had reached a deadlock.
UCT had offered a 3% pay increase for the 2023 year, however, the AU salary bargaining committee claimed other institutions were able to offer 6%.
About 87% of the staff announced their willingness to join a planned three-day strike, after labelling the proposed 3% as insulting and derisory.
It would have been the first time in the university's history that academics embarked on such a demonstration. “We find it hard to accept that UCT, as one of the premier universities in South Africa, is unable to match the pay increases offered by other higher education institutions,” the union said.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said the executive was working tirelessly and would avert the strike.
According to AU salary bargaining team leader, Professor Kelley Moult, the university made a verbal revised offer, which they accepted following a vote to accept.
“There were still other pending issues that needed to be finalised such as non-salary agreements which relate to academic working conditions including workload, conditions of service and other areas of concern on campus.
However, on Friday we received the formal written agreement and we signed off, everything has officially been resolved now,” said Moult.
UCT spokesperson, Elijah Moholola, would not confirm the 6% offer and agreement, but only said that the institution's engagements with any of the recognised unions “are governed by the principle of confidentiality”.
“Engagements with the Academics Union continued this past week and UCT wishes to uphold this principle of confidentiality,” he said.
Meanwhile, the university reached a deadlock with the UCT Employees Union (UCTEU) at the CCMA over the termination of the bargaining agreement.
The unions represent employees who do administration work among other titles.
It has now threatened strike action.
“UCT has notified all the relevant unions, including the UCT Employees Union, that wishes to establish a single bargaining unit with a single bargaining forum for Professional, Administrative Support and Service (PASS) staff,” said Moholola.
“The university makes it clear that this move does not in any way seek to bring to an end its long-standing relationship with UCTEU. On the contrary, it continues to recognise the union on substantially similar terms regarding organisational and similar rights as in the past.
“The only material change that is proposed in UCT’s relationship with the union is that it wishes to engage in a single bargaining forum for PASS staff in pay classes 2 to 12, rather than under the current multiple arrangements,” said Moholola.
“It should be noted that UCT has a single bargaining forum for all academic staff matters.”
Cape Times