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Pretoria - The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and protesting workers have reached an agreement to insource staff, both parties said on Friday.
"Workers [on Thursday] accepted the Tshwane University of Technology's agreement on the insourcing of outsourced services for a minimum wage of R5 000," TUT spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said.
"The agreement, based on affordability and sustainability for the University, was reached with the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu); the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Central Student Representative Council (CSRC) on 27 January 2016."
Contract workers at various universities have been protesting since the start of the year, demanding permanent employment with benefits.
The University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa, Wits University and the University of Johannesburg have already agreed to their demands. TUT was the last institution to reach agreement, despite it not being exactly what the workers wanted.
The workers had demanded a basic salary of R10 000 a month, but the institution said this would not be viable.
"The University could not accede to this demand, since it would neither be affordable, nor sustainable. In signing the agreement yesterday, the workers undertook to call off the protest action and return to work," said De Ruyter.
She said the university had engaged with the service providers to ensure that no workers would be victimised or dismissed for their participation in the protest action.
OutsourcingMustFall spokesperson Vusi Mahlangu confirmed the agreement, adding that the outsourced workers would be integrated into the Insourcing Task Team to monitor and assess the implementation until it was complete.
"All workers shall earn a minimum wage of R5 000 as sa tart... and it shall reach R10 000 by the end of 2018. This shall apply to all workers, including those that are not yet fully insourced.
"No worker or student should be victimised, dismissed or expelled for participation in this protest action. All court interdicts should be withdrawn," he said.
