UB Staff to go on strike

University of Botswana academic and support staff have resolved to embark on strike action following a wage dispute that has been ongoing for nearly ten months.

Trade Unions representing university staff, University of Botswana Academic and Senior Support Staff (UBASSU), University of Botswana Non-Academic Staff Union (UBNASU) and the National Amalgamated Local and Central Government and Parastatal Manual Workers Union (NALCGPMWU have been trying to get consensus on the adjustment of University staff salaries.

After parties failed to reach an agreement, the matter was referred to the Commissioner of Labour for mediation. The Commissioner issued a certificate of “Failure to reach a settlement” which The Gazette is in possession of. The certificate entitles any of the two Parties to either approach the Industrial Court for legal recourse or for the parties to jointly appoint an arbitrator to arbitrate on the matter.

Alternatively, the unions can go on strike. In a meeting held last week by UBNASU, non academic staff members resolved to withdraw their labour as a collective bargaining ploy against UB management.

The University of Botswana Academic and Senior Support Staff Union (UBASSSU) on Monday also resolved to go on strike.

This will result in all university staff going on strike against management. It appears a key sticking point is the failure to agree to the Unions’ demand that the position of Professor be equated to the three so called “Super Directors” namely Human Resources, Information Technology and Financial Services.

Moreover, the Unions had proposed that all other lower academic positions be raised together with that of Professor in line with the first demand to avoid huge wage disparities.

The unions had also proposed that the additional cost associated with increasing salaries for academic staff should be financed through reduction of increases for the university Executive Management.

“These people get hefty salaries, luxurious cars financed by the university, housing allowances and subsidies and a string of other allowances and now they want huge salary increases of up to 115% for themselves, this is tantamount to looting the university,” said an angry UB support staff member.

She lamented that the Executive Management doesn’t have the plight of staff and students at heart.

She argued that there is a mass exodus of staff members from UB in departments such as Law which is in staff crisis. Another UB academic who didn’t want to be named for fear of victimization pointed that the core mandate of the university is teaching and learning and that academics should be well paid especially that they are educated.

“If you don’t pay educated people they will simply leave or find alternative ways of making money and consequently the university will suffer,” he charged. However, UB management feels that unions’ demands are a significant deviation from the principle of using the remuneration survey report commissioned by the university as a benchmark.

The strike is likely to begin on Monday the 30th August and will continue for an unspecified period.