About 160 members of Nehawu were left with no other choice than to accept the less than 6,9% salary increase as majority voted to take the new offer tabled by Wits management.
Nehawu members headed to Wits Science Stadium for their meeting. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
• Nehawu and Wits management reached an agreement after five months.
• The salary increase is not the same percentage across working grades.
• Nehawu will begin salary increase negotiations for 2026 earlier than October.
After five months of negotiations with Wits University, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) finally accepted, during a meeting held on May 09, 2025, at the Wits Science Stadium, an offer of between 5,55% and 5,7% salary increase and an instant R2,500 once-off eWallet despite the majority of the members feeling cornered by circumstances.
Over 260 members voted in favour of the offer, while 160 voted against it.
Most workers were dissatisfied with the disparities in the salary increases. Grade 5-8 workers will receive a 5,55% increase, grade 9-12 workers will receive a 5,6% increase and lastly, grade 13-17 workers will receive a 5,7% increase.
Thabo Modise, secretary of Nehawu Wits branch, believes that this is Wits management’s way to try divide and conquer: “Management wants to divide us,” he said.
Modise encouraged members to trust in their leadership, stressing that members are resigning from the union to join either the Academic Staff Association of Wits University (Asawu) which accepted a salary increase of 4,5% increase, and the Association of Language Teachers of South Africa (ALTSA) which accepted a 5,5% salary increase long before this meeting.
“We are taking the offer because of hunger,” said Trinity Makola, chairperson of Nehawu Wits branch, after the votes were counted.
He went on to promise members to begin salary increase negotiations for 2026 earlier than October.
FEATURED IMAGE: Nehawu members opening the meeting. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
After four months of negotiations, the union finds the university’s offer “fair” .
The Wits National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has accepted the university’s offer of a 6.9% salary increase plus R3 800 once off.
The agreement, signed on March 23, was the culmination of negotiations that started in November 2022 when the union demanded a 15% salary increase for 2023. There was deadlock after the university countered with a 5.5% offer.
Thabo Modise, Nehawu Wits secretary told Wits Vuvuzela that, “Picketing started on March 6, 2023, because the [university’s] offer was below the consumer price index (CPI) which is 6.9% for the year 2023.”
Apart from the salary increase Wits Nehawu was demanding that “parking fees be reviewed as we think the fees are unreasonably priced for the staff. We want to contribute to parking fees, but we want to see how the university calculates the amount it charges the staff,” Modise said.
The union was also demanding a staff housing subsidy “because the majority of the staff in Nehawu do not have houses”, according to Modise.
Wits Nehawu members picket in front of the Wits Great Hall on March 23. Photo: Aphelele Mbokotho
He told Wits Vuvuzela that the 6.9% increases was a win for the union as it was a fair offer, and it benefited all workers. “Our main goal as a union is to ensure that members have fair working conditions and that there is no abuse of power by the employer.”
Other union demands that have not yet been resolved include the issue of night shift, that the university should provide transport that drops workers at their individual locations, instead of the current policy of dropping everyone off in Parktown. The union expects the outstanding matters to be resolved by April 25.
The university spokesperson, Shirona Patel, told Wits Vuvuzela that they had considered the financial affordability and sustainability for the university while also paying attention to the need to maintain the livelihoods of staff when they calculated the salary increase. The university enters negotiations with the recognised unions such as Nehawu and the Academic Staff Association of Wits University yearly.
“Only about 40% of Wits staff belong to a recognised union. Sixty percent of Wits staff are not members of a recognised union. It was prudent for management to observe good labour relations practice by concluding negotiations with Nehawu before exercising its prerogative to apply the agreed increases to all eligible employees,” Patel said.
A maintenance worker belonging to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa told Wits Vuvuzela that he did not know why his union had not taken part in the picket, but that he was happy to benefit from the salary increase negotiated by Nehawu.
Nehawu was not only striking at Wits. Its members were on strike nationally, along with other unions in the public service, demanding a 10% salary increase whereas the government was offering 3%.
After some unions accepted the government’s final offer of an average 7.5% increase for the 2023/24 budget year, Groundup reported on March 28 that “Nehawu says it will not consider the 2023-24 wage agreement with the government, which other unions have signed, until a deal is reached on 2022-23 wages.”
FEATURED IMAGE: Wits Nehawu members wait on March 23 to hear from chairperson Sam Mandela about the university’s latest offer. Photo: Aphelele Mbokotho
Workers at Wits University hold a picket in the Solomon Mahlangu House concourse on Tuesday, January 23. Photo: Odwa Mjo
Wits University staff affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) have embarked on a strike following a deadlock in salary negotiations with the institution on Tuesday, January 23. This follows two weeks of lunchtime pickets during which the union engaged university management over annual salary increases.
Wits Nehawu acting secretary and spokesperson for the Unions’ Caucus – the joint representative body for Nehawu, the Academic Staff Association of Wits University (Asawu), the Admin and Library Staff Association (Altsa) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) at Wits – Tumisho Madihlaba, told about 500 Nehawu members during Tuesday’s picket that Wits management had only revised the offer for grades 16 to 17 to 8% while the offer of 6,8% for all other grades remained the same. “They are saying they do not have a mandate to renegotiate or review the offer,” Madihlaba added. Members of Nehawu at Wits include staff of the security and cleaning services, sport administration, libraries and bus drivers.
“Cost of living has not remained the same since December 2014 when we signed that multi-year agreement of 6%. But this university believes that the 6% of 2014, we will still survive on,” he said.
Wits library staffer, Pisto Marema, told Wits Vuvuzela that union members were demanding a wage of at least R12 000 a month. “We need 9%. At least that can take us somewhere. As we sit now, most of us can’t even afford to apply for a bond,” said Marema.
According to Madihlaba, Numsa and Asawu will be joining the strike as of today, January 24. A statement released earlier today by the office of the vice-chancellor, Prof Adam Habib, confirms that Numsa intends to strike and has given the university 48-hour notice of its intention to do so. Asawu is set to hold a Special General Meeting with its members on Friday, January 26.
With less than two weeks before the academic year kicks off, Madihlaba added that strike action will continue until the union’s demands are met “We are going to shut down this university and management will not believe it,” he said.
Despite the apparent discontent with the leadership of the Wits branch of the National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU), the former chairperson was re-elected at a meeting yesterday.
Richard Sadiki retains his position, along with four other former executive committee members, after an election in Wits Senate House on Tuesday.
In a meeting last week, regional chairman Lulamile Sibanda said, “the workers will never be happy with their salaries … the leadership must be driven by the interest of the members of the congress.”
He called for elections that were democratic, open and frank. “[We] must seek to unite membership of the union.”
The former executive committee, with re-elected chairperson, Richard Sadiki. Photo: Roxanne Joseph
The former executive have achieved a lot, according to Nehawu members. These include having increased branch membership from 470 at the start of their term to 700, the compensation of workers who were not being paid overtime and the renovation of the female security officers change rooms (from toilets to proper bathroom facilities).
The new executive, which consists of 14 members (of which only three are women) in total, has its work cut out for it, according to the congress. “But we, the congress, have faith in our new leaders and expect continued success,” one member said at the close of the meeting.
The new committee will serve a four-year term, ending in mid-2018.
The Wits branch of the National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) is unhappy with the current leadership, according to regional chairperson, Lulamile Sibanda.
Sibanda was speaking at the branch congress in Senate House earlier today which was convened to elect new leaders but his sentiments were not echoed by the branch chairperson.
“The leadership has not optimally represented the members’ interests related to collective bargaining,” Sibanda said. Concerns raised by members included unhappiness with wages, being looked over for promotions and contractual issues.
The members who were in attendance though expressed their satisfaction with the current leadership and applauded loudly when “Prince”, the branch chairperson who refused to give his full name, spoke about how successful the union had been thus far this year. “Our members are happy, we are doing good things, they feel supported here at Wits,” he said.
NEHAWU members singing and dancing at the start of the meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Photo: Roxanne Joseph
“Whether or not our members are really happy will de determined by the vote,” said Sibanda. “If they vote in the current leadership, then this will show faith in them, otherwise new leadership must take over and make things right.”
127 of the total 685 members of the branch attended the meeting but the number fell short of the 50 percent required to conduct the elections. The election has been postponed to next Tuesday, July 22.
Campus protection management accused of unfair treatment resulting in a petition signed by securities.
Security personnel under Campus Protection (CPS) at Wits University have formally complained about “unfair treatment” by management. They allege that there are unequal salary structures between them and their counterparts in the Crime Prevention Response Task Unit (CPRT).
Wits Vuvuzela interviewed several CPS security officers who said they feel “undervalued”. They said CPRT employees receive special attention and superior benefits such as higher salaries, the promotion of duties, and a better-looking uniform.
“We need Wits Vuvuzela to speak for us, the National, Education, Health, and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) seems to always favour our management,” said one the CPS security guards who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of victimization.
“I will not even try apply for a better security position because I know CPRT officers are always first preference, yet I have been working here before this unit was introduced, who sees us?” asked a frustrated CPS officer.
Now, 320 security guards have taken it upon themselves to sign a petition. “The petition addresses the division and unfair treatment between the Campus Protection services and Crime Prevention Response Task Unit, unequal salaries for the same duties, and not being compensated enough for working overtime,” explained a CPS officer.
Thabo Modise, the branch secretary of NEHAWU Bheki Mkhize Wits branch, said: “NEHAWU agrees with its members that the introduction of CPRT was not necessary. In fact, it has brought about low morale and hatred among officers at Wits.”
He explained that in 2017, NEHAWU successfully advocated for security officers to be insourced at Grade 15 after negotiations. Subsequently, a phased approach of harmonization between NEHAWU and Wits in 2019 and 2020 led to a significant 14,66% increase in salaries for security officers, elevating them to Grade14.
However, disparities appeared with the introduction of CPRT towards the end of 2021 and early 2022, prompting NEHAWU’s appeal for equal pay at CCMA in 2022, which was not upheld due to CPRT officers being considered specialised therefore earning a bit more.
Wits Vuvuzela made an effort to afford protection services director, Gary Kruser, a right of reply, but emails to him went unanswered a week after the fact.
Security personnel hope their needs will be eventually resolved as they still want to remain protecting the staff and students of the institution.
FEATURED IMAGE: A security guard who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. Photo: Katlego Mtshali
From the early hours of Friday morning, the ongoing #WitsShutdown protests became physical.
Things came to a head between protesting students and private security officers and Campus Protection Services (CPS) on March 3, 2023. What started out as security using their shields to bar students from entering buildings or using certain entrances, quickly escalated into water, bricks and other projectiles being hurled by some protestors.
Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) have now entered the fray, with multiple nyala’s standing at the ready in front of the Great Hall steps to provide reinforcements.
EFF Student Command members joined the protest.
A student holds up a placard which reads “Wits is not for good. It is depriving us education and shelter, our basic human rights!!!” Photo: Mpho Hlakudi.
A student wears a t-shirt with “Hasta la Victoria Siempre” written on it, which means “Until victory, always” in Spanish.
Bricks being ripped off the
A water bottle being emptied out onto a private security officer.
A protesting student addressing a security officer.
Protesting members of NEHAWU joined protesting students and are seen attempting to calm tensions.
A traffic cone about to be flung at security officers.
Remnants of some of the things thrown at officers lie on the floor at the top of the Great Hall steps.
A student protester sings into the loudspeaker. Photo: Mpho Hlakudi
Protesting students gathered at the Wits amphitheatre as members of the SRC addressed them. Photo: Mpho Hlakudi.
FEATURED IMAGE: A traffic cone about to be flung at security officers. Photo: Mpho Hlakudi
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