Cape Town - A Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)consultation process between UCT management and the Academics Union (AU) representing some academics continues on Tuesday.
The engagement comes after the UCT-AU announced it was preparing a possible three-day industrial action after wage negotiations reached a deadlock.
To date about 87% of the staff have shown willingness to join the protest action.
The union applied for a strike certificate last week with the hopes of receiving it on Monday, however they were urged to have one more consultation with management.
The university is offering a 3% pay increase for the 2023 year, however AU salary bargaining team leader, Professor Kelley Moult claims other institutions were able to offer 6%.
According to Moult, if there was still no wage agreement and the CCMA issued the certificate the strike would probably be on Friday due to a notice the union would have to give UCT.
“We have been scheduled to attend another conciliation at the CCMA at 10 am on Tuesday.
“Management has asked to meet with us, but we have not received a revised offer, if there is one,” she said.
Moult said the current offer was an insult.
“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.”
UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said due to engagements they were not in a position to comment further on the matter.
Vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said there was an ongoing process to address the issues that have arisen. “We are confident that it will yield an acceptable outcome soon,” she said.
“We wish to assure the campus community that the executive will do everything possible to, at best, avert any possible staff protest action and to ensure that there is minimal to no impact on university activities.
“All university activities are scheduled to continue as planned. We will continue working hard to ensure that parties do find one another in pursuance of a reasonable collective agreement,” said Phakeng.
Cape Times