UB staff, management hit deadlock as strike rages on
Larona Makhaiza | Monday February 13, 2023 06:00
When the two unions handed over a petition to the Ministry of Education, and Skills Development Dr Douglas Letsholathebe last year they had asked for 15% pay increase across the board effective from April, or at least 7.5 percent plus incorporation of allowances into basic salaries if 15% was too steep for the university.
In an interview with Mmegi this week, UBSU president Gadzani Mhotsha revealed that the minister did get back to them, but his response was shocking to say the least. “The minister got back to us and said that he met with the UB Council. The UB Council told the minister that they were surprised that the unions approached him without informing the council about their concerns,” he said.
Mhotsha added that the minister advised them to engage the UB Council further. Adding on how this baffled them, Mhotsha revealed that when the council was ushered in last year August, they met with the chairperson and tried to deliberate on some of the issues that concerned the university staff. He said they were dismissed by the chairperson who indicated that her task is not to deal with unions but management instead. Mhotsha said this is what left them shocked as unions.
The unions were scheduled to meet with the Council last Monday, however Mhotsha disclosed that they met with the chairperson and the meeting turned out to be a waste of time and they have since decided to carry on with the strike.
The UBSU president added the management has not even bothered to engage thus far but the strike is supposed to end on February 10. He said this shows how the management cares less about the employees’ cries.
The current strike by the two unions have seen some lectures being interrupted because they feel that everyone should all be in the same boat, and no lecturer should be presiding over any class. Mhotsha did not refute that some classes have been interrupted as it is just a matter of when ‘two elephants fight it’s the grass that suffers’.
Asked if this was another futile exercise he said, “I don’t think this is a futile exercise as the dividends of the struggle don’t come immediately, it’s a process and so far we are getting the word out there.” Mhotsha added that, February 10 which is supposed to be the last day of the five-day strike, they will hold a meeting as the unions to decide on whether to extend the strike to the next week if their pleas are not acceded to.