Wits academics have declared a dispute with management, accusing it of imposing a wage settlement and trivialising their concerns.
“We find it very discouraging that management can completely ignore our role in negotiating, and merely impose a settlement. It speaks of arrogance and disdain,” said Advocate Liz Picarra, vice president of the Academic Staff Association of Wits University (Asawu).
Management rejected Asawu’s proposed salary increase, which would have cost the university about R60m to implement.
“Asawu demanded increases which the university could certainly not afford,” said Professor Patrick Fitzgerald, deputy vice chancellor: finance and operations.
Academics received an 8% increase in July, after the Administration, Library and Technical Staff Association (Altsa) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) , two unions representing support staff, signed a wage agreement.
“This year’s increases are significantly above inflation and Wits staff has consistently received above inflation increases for a number of years,” said Fitzgerald.
However, Asawu has requested access to the Wits financial system to verify the claim that Wits cannot afford the increase, referring the matter to the Labour Court after management failed to comply with an order granted by the CCMA instructing Wits to provide Asawu with financial information.
Earlier this year Asawu used the Promotion of Access to Information Act to take Wits to the CCMA, forcing management to release figures relating to their salaries. This data was published on Asawu’s website and revealed that female academics are earning between 2 and 5.6% less than male academics across all grades.
Fitzgerald is adamant that there is no gender discrimination at Wits.
“In terms of our values and policies the university does not discriminate in regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, religious belief or non-belief, or any similar category. However, the university is certainly open to further discussion, investigation and debate in terms of how diversity matters can be better managed in our particular context,” he said.
Asawu is refusing to back down on this issue. “We are determined to pursue all avenues to address the gender discrimination, be it institutional culture or salary related, especially in the face of management’s blunt refusal to address this issue,” said Picarra.
Picarra also said they will continue seeking legal recourse to achieve their objectives.
“Management’s arrogant and obstructionist attitude has given us no choice but to pursue these avenues – their imposition of the increase and refusal to engage with our other issues in the negotiation process is indicative of their disregard for our role as a representative union and their utter disdain for academics’ concerns,” she said.
Fitzgerald said it is Asawu’s democratic right to follow this route. “Whether Asawu actually needs to do so is entirely another matter.”
“In terms of our values and policies the university does not discriminate in regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, religious belief or non-belief, or any similar category. However, the university is certainly open to further discussion, investigation and debate in terms of how diversity matters can be better managed in our particular context,” he said.
Asawu is refusing to back down on this issue. “We are determined to pursue all avenues to address the gender discrimination, be it institutional culture or salary related, especially in the face of management’s blunt refusal to address this issue,” said Picarra.
Picarra also said they will continue seeking legal recourse to achieve their objectives.
“Management’s arrogant and obstructionist attitude has given us no choice but to pursue these avenues – their imposition of the increase and refusal to engage with our other issues in the negotiation process is indicative of their disregard for our role as a representative union and their utter disdain for academics’ concerns,” she said.
Fitzgerald said it is Asawu’s democratic right to follow this route. “Whether Asawu actually needs to do so is entirely another matter.”
