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Temba Dube Senior Reporter
NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (Nust) lecturers have resolved to go on strike at the end of the week in protest against non-payment of outstanding salaries and allowances. The strike would mainly affect parallel programmes and Masters degree students.
Students at the institution have however said the lecturers are already on go-slow.
In a “notice for intention to strike” dated 30 August and addressed to Nust Vice Chancellor, Professor Lindela Ndlovu, the National University of Science and Technology Educators Association (Nusteda) said lecturers would down tools on 14 September if their demands were not met.
The memo was leaked to Chronicle by disgruntled lecturers.
“Following the extraordinary Nusteda Executive Meeting held on Thursday 29 August 2012 to discuss outstanding conventional and self-funding wages that academics are owed by the University, the National University of Science and Technology Educators’ Association (Nusteda) is notifying you that all academics who are owed these wages for services provided to the institution as far back as 2012 to date will withdraw their services in conventional and self-funding programmes in the 2013 to 2014 academic year. This lawful collective job action will commence on 14 September 2013 and end when all outstanding wages have been fully paid,” read the notice.
The association warned the university against threatening any of its members regarding the intended strike, saying it would be contravening Section 7, on protection of employees’ right to democracy in the work place [sub section 1(b)] of the Labour Act.
Lecturers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the parallel programmes and Masters’ degree programmes were supposed to be self-funding and lecturers who taught the classes were supposed to be paid directly from students’ fees.
“The university authorities have however been using the students fees to pay other service providers. It would seem the University is not prioritising the academic staff. In the conventional programme, lecturers are supposed to have two courses per semester. Unfortunately, due to staff shortage, some are forced to take up extra courses, which they are supposed to be paid for. The allowances for the extra load have not been paid in full,” said one of the lecturers.
Contacted for comment Nusteda secretary general Mr Blessing Jona, confirmed the development and said Nusteda complained about the issue in February last year and the matter was taken to the Ministry of Labour.
“We were asked to use dialogue to thresh out our differences. However, it would seem the employer was not sincere in promises that were made to pay outstanding wages and allowances. We are therefore, pursuant to Section 104 (1) and (2) of the Labour Act that gives employees the right to resort to collective job action and Section 6 (1) (a) of the Act, which stipulates that employers should pay a wage commensurate with services rendered, we have given notice to get our dues,” said Mr Jona.
He said Nust had given verbal notice that it was unable to pay the lecturers but Nusteda was not accepting the explanation because it had not been backed up by evidence like the latest bank statements.
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