Negotiations for 2017 salary increases

Dear colleagues

The protests that took place on campus last year impacted on many university activities, including the annual salary negotiations. Salary negotiations with the National Education, Health and Allied Workers? Union (Nehawu), the Employees Union (EU) and the Academics Union (AU) have been delayed as a result.

The current round of negotiations with all three unions have reached a deadlock. The unions have rejected UCT?s offer of a 6% salary increase, and currently two of the unions have declared a dispute with the university.

We think that the fair and appropriate step to take in the circumstances is to implement the final offer of 6% with the February 2017 pay run, backdated to 1 January 2017. The main reasons for this are:

1. The salary increase, at 6%, is a major stretch for the university in its current financial circumstances.
2. Staff, including both union members and non-union members, have already gone a month without their usual annual pay increase. We do not believe that it is fair to them to hold back for a further period, particularly since negotiations have reached a deadlock.
3. We wish to ensure compliance with the SARS deadline for the IRP5 tax year-end of 28 February 2017.

Although management is going ahead with the implementation of the increase, it remains committed to continued negotiations with the unions.

Sincerely

Professor Francis Petersen
Acting Vice-Chancellor