EFF Student Command threatens to force shutdown of all Unisa campuses

13 January 2016 - 16:36 By TMG Digital

EFF Student Command has threatened to force a shutdown of all University of South Africa (Unisa) campuses after the university was forced to close its Pretoria campuses on Wednesday because of security concerns. “As things currently stands workers and students are rolling out a programme of national shut down of all Unisa campuses in a similar mode that Main campus‚ Sunnyside campus and Florida are currently in a shutdown‚” EFF Student Command (EFFSC) said in a statement.The university was forced to close the Pretoria campuses after protesters blocked the entrances to both the main Muckleneuk campus as well as the Sunnyside campus.The students and workers are apparently protesting over a lack of insourcing and what they call “poor student services”.EFFSC accused the university’s management of intransigence and misleading the public‚ refuting a statement by the university that progress had been made regarding insourcing.“Upon return from (the) 2015 December holidays‚ security workers and cleaners were subjected to disciplinary processes which was against the decision of UNISA council.“Currently 230 security workers are facing the prospect of losing their jobs from ELITE security services which is their current employer. Five security workers were dismissed on 08 January 2016‚” EFFSC charged.“There is currently continued exploitation of student workers who are employed through labour/employment agency workers on three months seasonal contract basis and rotating them which is the current form of slavery. This went against the memorandum of demands which was tabled and agreed upon in November 2015‚” it added.It continued: “Unisa EFF Students Command joins the protest because the Unisa online student system has not been operational since October 2015; students could not get results and student’s letter which was as a result of non- functioning of the student system. EFF Students Command have been inundated with enquiries of more than ten-thousand student applications which have not been responded to.“Unisa Management remains non-committal about students who have no funds but would like to register and they were prevented from registering. Since the handing over of memorandum of demands was handed over workers & students are still awaiting the convening of multi–disciplinary task team and that security‚ cleaners‚ gardening‚ cafeteria‚ ICT and all outsourced services should be provided with permanent contracts.”It added that workers and students had vowed “that (President) Jacob Zuma will not be allowed to make the state of nation address until every security worker‚ cleaners‚ cafeteria workers‚ gardening have been given permanent contracts in SA universities and that ALL students in universities are registered for free”.It concluded by saying that workers and students had vowed to continue with the struggle until social justice and free quality education was attained...

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