Demands of UCT workers not met

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Published on Tuesday, 14 February 2012 00:00

Written by Aimee Carelse

During a national cleaning sector strike in August 2011, the UCT cleaning staff expressed solidarity with national striking workers, demanding an “end to poor wages and working conditions.” 

On behalf of the cleaning staff, the UCT Workers Forum produced a list of specific demands to be met by UCT management. In a written response, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo explained that UCT management was unable to meet some of these demands, as they are not legally obliged to communicate with the Workers Forum. 

“The Workers Forum demanded an increase in wages to be paid immediately, as well as a minimum wage of R6 500 to be implemented by January this year. UCT workers are paid a Supplemented Living Level (SLL). The SLL is the minimum monthly income required to maintain a household of 4–5 people that is above the breadline,” explained John Critien, the Executive Director of Properties and Services. 

UCT has control over this amount but it has “no control over the wages paid to workers beyond the SLL rate,” stated Nhlapo in his response to the Workers Forum. 

However, according to Critien, the university’s Code of Conduct stipulates that the SLL will be increased annually according to the Consumer Price Index for the “urban low expenditure group.” An increase of 6.2% in the SLL was implemented by UCT as of January 1st. This increased workers wages from R3 919.52 to R4 162.53. “Workers are free to negotiate wages beyond the SLL rates and some have done so,” said Critien.

Additionally, workers demanded a single wage from UCT instead of a payslip on which their wages were split between a “basic wage” and an “allowance.” Management responded to this demand by saying that the manner in which the wage was reflected on payslips “may vary from one employer to another, and is a matter between workers and employers.” As UCT workers are not directly employed by UCT itself, management could not accede to this demand. 

Workers also demanded direct employment by UCT instead of being outsourced from companies such as Supercare and Metro. In the response to the Workers Forum, Nhlapo stated that “the Council of the university determined that the outsourcing model was appropriate for UCT [and] resolved to extend certain benefits to workers engaged at the UCT site.”

One UCT worker, employed by Supercare and who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her grievances: “We are sick and tired of outsourcing oppressing us. With Supercare you don’t get benefits. I have been working for them for a long time and I am still struggling. Sometimes I don’t even want to go to work, but I am the breadwinner so I have no choice.”

In their list of demands, the Workers Forum also requested the protection of participating workers from “penalty, victimisation, or discipline of any kind.”

“[During the strike] the intimidation of workers was reported to us. UCT accommodated those workers who felt they could not return home at night for fear of reprisals,” explained Critien.