Strikers close Unisa over 10% wage call

Striking workers shut down the University of SA's main campus in Pretoria yesterday over a wage dispute.

The entrance to the Muckleneuk campus was a sea of red yesterday as scores of singing and chanting workers in National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union regalia voiced their grievances with management.

Nehawu's Sello Bila said the university would not function until its demands for a 10% salary increase was met .

He said negotiations deadlocked when Unisa reduced its initial offer of a 6% increase to 4.5%.

"That is arrogance on the part of the university, so we returned to our initial demand of 10%," he said.

Bila said Unisa was also grappling with wastage, saying management spent R100-million on an IT system to be used for student registration this year but the system was not working.

"The university also rents buildings, though it has buildings of its own," he said.

The road leading to the campus was blocked, with Tshwane metro police controlling traffic and a police helicopter hovered over the striking workers.

Traffic reports yesterday morning also warned motorists to avoid Unisa's Florida and Midrand campuses.