NEHAWU Eastern Cape Statement On The Rationalisation Process At Walter Sisulu University
Monday March 07, 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the Eastern Cape is fundamentally opposed to the rationalisation process undertaken by Walter Sisulu University.
The management of the institution has embarked on a process of rationalisation with an objective of consolidating campuses and rationalising faculties. The university argues that this process is informed by amongst other reason; unevenness and inconsistency in infrastructure and academic provision, work overload for many academic and support staff and expensive duplication of support services.
The institution further argues that the basis of the process is to streamline governance and management and also rationalize faculties and departments wherever possible to create of a single faculty and departmental structure for each of the primary fields in which the university is active.
As NEHAWU, we view this as nothing but restructuring disguised in the form of rationalization, which will ultimately lead to job losses in the institution, and as such the union does not agree to this process which will temper with the jobs of our members and workers in general at the university.
We are dismayed that the institution has embarked on this process without any proper consultation and communication with critical stakeholders [student and workers]. The least we expected was for the management to engage the union as a critical stakeholder in the affairs of the institution more especially with regards to anything that directly affects workers.
The objectives of this rationalization process totally goes against the ethos of transforming and positioning the institution as a well-functioning university with a unitary identity, financially stable and serves its student community and its stakeholders effectively and efficiently.
NEHAWU as a red and fighting transformative union will oppose this process of rationalising the university. We reiterate that we will oppose any process that is presented as rationalisation when in actual fact it is restructuring, which will lead to job losses.
Lastly, as NEHAWU, we shall be writing to the Vice Chancellor and management to halt the rationalisation process and further elevate the matter to our national office to intervene by engaging with the Minister of Higher Education and Training, as this rationalisation will have dire consequences for students, workers and the broader Eastern Cape Community.
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Issued by NEHAWU Eastern Cape Secretariat
Mlu Ncapayi (Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary) at 063 685 1923 - email Mlungiseleli@nehawu.org.za
Sweetness Stokwe (Eastern Cape Provincial Deputy Secretary) at 063 685 1904 or email: SweetnessS@nehawu.org.za
Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za