After months of discussions between management and unions at Unisa, the parties have come to an agreement through a multi-year salary agreement, the first of its kind, effective from January 2024.

Seated (from left): Mzwamadoda Bhomoyi, NEHAWU Branch Chairperson; Philip Nkabinde, NEHAWU Branch Secretary; Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor; Prof Solomon Magano, Acting Vice-Principal: Institutional Development; and Lesego Kelepetsweng, APSA Deputy Secretary
Standing (from left): Dr Phumzile Dlamini, Executive Director: Human Resources; Mahmood Fadal, UBF Chairperson; and Kwena Manamela, APSA Deputy Chairperson

At the signing ceremony on 11 December 2023, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Puleng LenkaBula, welcomed members of the university’s Management Committee, members of the United Bargaining Forum (UBF), and representatives of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), and the Academic and Professional Staff Association (APSA). She thanked the Chairperson of the UBF, Mahmood Fadal, for acting as interlocutor throughout the negotiations, and expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the Acting Vice-Principal of Institutional Development, Prof Solomon Magano, and the Executive Director of Human Resources, Dr Phumzile Dlamini, for their pivotal role during negotiations.

The power of unity in diversity

"One of the assets of management and leadership is to bring together different talents, energies, skills and expertise," said the VC. "They come from diverse backgrounds, however, when they come together, they create an eco-system that allows the institution to progress."

The VC thanked the leaders of NEHAWU and APSA, stating: “You have displayed tremendous leadership in your projections of the trajectory of the university and participation as co-constructors of the institution’s vision. We are truly appreciative of this."

Addressing the Unisa Management Committee, the VC said: "It is a pleasure for us to contest, co-construct and reimagine while working together as a collective leadership of the university within the legislative mandate."

Magano extended his appreciation and stated that he endorses the words of the VC. "It is evident that when we come together as a collective, we can champion even the greatest of tasks," he remarked. "Through this collaborative effort we are cementing a prolonged agreement in order to put the university at a desired state of stability."

He continued: "For me this bodes well for each and every one of us. It is a collective effort, it is something that cannot be achieved by an individual or an entity on its own, so, let us take this as a lesson for other challenges that we are going to confront in the future."

Focusing on the bigger picture

Mzwamadoda Bhomoyi, NEHAWU Branch Chairperson, said that the negotiations took place under very difficult circumstances at the university. He said that for the new leadership of NEHAWU, it was less about the percentages the workers were looking for, but rather about the new element – the concept of a multi-year collective agreement.

He said that when the VC visited the UBF, she took them by surprise, but that they came to understand the purpose for her visit. He continued: "We came to understand that the VC was well aligned to the sensitive process that was under way at the UBF, and how critical it is to the university. We truly appreciate that."

Bhomoyi thanked the university’s management for the culmination of events that led to the signing moment. He stated that this agreement will give the university an opportunity to focus on other strategic matters, including outdated policies that were mentioned in the Independent Assessor’s Report.

An open and frank conversation

Said APSA Branch Secretary, Prof Itumeleng Mothoagae: "As organised labour, we face serious challenges in term of relationships. However, this multi-year agreement demonstrates the intention of management to have an open and frank conversation on issues that affect the workers."

Mothoagae said that the multi-year agreement shows that much can be achieved when the respective parties put their heads together. He said that academics are experiencing many issues, and that they will be forever agitating for them. In addition, he stated that there is a need for the institution to begin looking at supporting the mental health of its employees.

Mothoagae said that he is appreciative of Dlamini, whom he described as patient during negotiations. He said that the multi-year agreement shows that they are rebuilding relations between the university’s management and the unions. In conclusion, he added that the collective agreement requires that both sides dirty their hands in order to build the collective vision of the university.

Celebrating the historic agreement are members of Unisa’s Management Committee, and representatives of NEHAWU, APSA, and the UBF

Renewed focus

“The conclusion of this multi-term agreement is not only a welcomed development because it is unprecedented at Unisa,” said the VC. “It is also a significant development in that it provides both management and employees, represented by organised labour, to give special focus to the academic project of the university; as we collectively endeavour to reclaim the glory, prestige and international standing of this national asset, the University of the Land.”

* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

** Photography by Given Maluleka, Multimedia Centre