News & Media
Unisa absorbs vulnerable workers
In a gesture to embrace the principle of social justice, Unisa has reached an agreement with the Multi Stakeholder Task Team (MSTT) on insourcing. The agreement, which has been hailed as historic by various parties, brings an end to the standoff between Unisa and its vulnerable workers. The deal will see more than 900 workers in cleaning and security services being employed permanently by the university. The agreement was signed by the Executive Committee of council and members of the MSTT at Unisa on 24 October 2016.
Sakhi Simelane (Chairperson: Unisa Council) signing the historic insourcing agreement alongside Prof Mandla Makhanya (Principal and Vice-Chancellor: Unisa) during a media briefing at Unisa
Sakhi Simelane, Chairperson of the Unisa Council, described the agreement as a significant milestone, saying the process of negotiations was complex. However, he emphasised, the parties never succumbed to their differences of opinion, and they remained open throughout the negotiations to pave a way for a common ground that best served the interest of all parties involved.
“This agreement bears testimony to the wise words of the founding father of our democracy and renowned alumnus of our university, Nelson Mandela, that everything is impossible until it is done. It speaks to the commitment, unwavering determination, and resoluteness of all parties involved to find amicable solutions to difficult problems through courageous discussions and confronting deep-seated systematic challenges with an open mind,” he said.
Simelane also expressed his deepest gratitude for the role played by Executive Management under the stewardship of Prof Mandla Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, and the Chairperson of the MSTT, Prof Gugu Moche, and all members of the Task Team, who worked tirelessly to ensure the ground-breaking agreement.
The Vice-Chancellor also welcomed the agreement, saying although the journey for the negotiations had its own hiccups, the agreement represented an important way forward in the history of the university.
Workers welcomed the agreement reached between Unisa and the Multi Stakeholder Task Team to end outsourcing with warm hands after it was signed.
Some of the salient points unveiled in the agreement, include the following:
- That a total of 910 staff members be insourced as part of the permanent staff complement of the university
- That the current contracts of all service providers be terminated as soon as practically possible and that the full insourcing commence from 1 December 2016
- That a three-month salary payment be offered to those members who fall outside the selected pool of staff members
- That the implementation plan be adjusted to take into account the commencement date of 1 December 2016 as well as the outcomes of the consultative sessions with all service providers
- That the minimum sectorial determination with benefits be applied to all 910 vulnerable workers within Cleaning, Security, Gardens and Ground across all regions.
Click here to read the agreement. You can listen to a recording of yesterday’s insourcing announcement on Unisa Radio today at 14:00, tomorrow at 13:00, and on Thursday at 13:00. This includes an interview with one of the cleaners by Martina Jege.
Publish date: 2016-10-25 00:00:00.0
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