WSU gets court order to halt strike

The Daily Dispatch understands that a letter was issued last week announcing the national Nehawu officials' visit to the striking Buffalo City branch.

The visit is understood to have been an intervention in the on-going workers' strike action which started last week. WSU's staff who are members of the union have been on strike demanding an 18% salary increase. The meeting was apparently held at East London's Nehawu offices.

WSU management issued an ultimatum to the labour union, instructing its workers to return to work by Tuesday (19 March) but workers ignored the instruction and stayed away from work. WSU has taken the issue to the Port Elizabeth labour court for legal intervention.

WSU spokeswoman Angela Church said: "WSU has been granted a court order against labour unions Nehawu and Nteu [National Tertiary Education Union] at its Buffalo City and Butterworth campuses and at the Zamukulungisa site of Mthatha campus for the unprotected strike that has been underway since Monday 11 March."

The Labour Court ruled that the strike was unprotected and the strikers were interdicted from continuing with their strike action. Nehawu leaders could not be reached for comment as they were locked in the meeting but Nteu officials said they had not received the court order.

"We are still waiting for this court order. We know when we will go back to work but we won't tell you because we don't owe you any explanation," said a member who did not identify herself.

Hundreds of students at the Buffalo City campus held a mass meeting yesterday (19 March) aimed at trying to resolve the dispute. Student representative council premier of the Buffalo City campus Anele Nkoyi said: "The students have signed a petition and a memorandum has been sent to management. We' are giving management until Wednesday (20 March) to resolve this crisis."

Source: Daily Dispatch via I-Net Bridge