Nehawu to go ahead with planned strike

By: Lethiwe Mdluli

The Department of Higher Education and Training has urged the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union to reconsider its decision to embark on a nationwide strike.

The Union announced its decision to embark on a strike at all TVET and Community Education and Training colleges in the country tomorrow.

The Department says it’s of the view that all the issues being raised by NEHAWU as reasons for embarking on the strike have been tabled at the bargaining chamber and there is an agreement on how they could be resolved.

The departments spokesperson, Lunga Ngqengelele says if the strike goes ahead, students will be badly affected as no schooling will be taking place.

“The department is humbly appealing to Nehawu to reconsider its decision as it will impact negatively a number of students who go to these colleges across the country. We think the issues raised by Nehawu can be resolved through the bargaining counsel and we ask them to reconsider their decision and go back to the counsel so we can look at the issues they are raising.

Listen below:

https://iono.fm/e/654788

Meanwhile the union’s spokesperson, Khaya Xaba, says they are going ahead with the strike as the department has failed to address their issues which include salary increases, non-deduction of pension benefit for CET staff employees and Non-implementation of performance bonuses and grade progression.

“This is the result of the intransigence of the department of higher education in relation into fixing the immigration that took place in 2015 and currently from taking colleges from the independent counsels into the department. This has left the condition of our members compromised in that they do not get the correct salaries, do not get benefits in relation to UIF, medical aid and provident fund. This has left our members dejected they have been patent with the department for far too long and their patience has run thin hence they have decided to take the decision to withdraw their labour power and test the arm of the employer,” says Xaba.

Listen below:

https://iono.fm/e/654789