Unisa management says it will continue wage negotiations with its workers who are affiliated to the National Health Education & Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) until they reach an agreement.
The workers downed tools on Wednesday after the wage negotiations reached a deadlock.
The striking workers barricaded the Sunnyside campus entrance in Pretoria.
Unisa spokesperson Martin Ramotshela hopes that the two parties will reach an agreement soon.
Ramotshela says, “They did serve us with notice of intention to embark on strike action after we deadlocked on salary increases for the 2018 financial year. We deadlocked at a percentage of 6,5% which we were offering as the employer. But then I can confirm that we did make a move on Wednesday where we increased the offer to 7% which they declined.”
“Currently they have been in negotiations at the CCMA since this morning and those negotiations are ongoing and we are hoping that we will reach a settlement,” adds Ramotshela.
In Durban, traffic was brought to a standstill on KE Masinga and Masabalala Yengwa Streets as Unisa employees blockaded the streets with rubble and stones demanding a 12% increase.
Registration was also suspended as students joined the protest in solidarity with the employees. Simultaneously, at the Durban University of Technology employees have entered their third day of protest action.
They’re demanding a salary increase of 10%. Both employers at Unisa and DUT have offered only 4%.
At the Durban University of Technology, employees say they have lost confidence in Vice Chancellor Professor Thandwa Mthembu after he failed to engage with them three days into their protected strike.
