Agreement reached, strike suspended

An agreement on remuneration was reached between UCT management and the UCT Employees Union (UCTEU) on 20 February, and the short strike action by Professional, Administrative and Support Staff (PASS) in payclasses 5 to 12 was subsequently suspended.

"We are pleased as the settlement means that we are able to remain with the principles important to UCT, namely that individuals are rewarded for good performance and that we track the mid-point of the all jobs market when we determine the remuneration ranges for people in the category," executive director of the Communication and Marketing Department, Gerda Kruger, said in a press release.

The settlement means that all staff in this category who have met their job requirements will receive a 5.5% increase. Those who have exceeded the performance requirements will receive an additional increase, to be determined by each individual's position in the salary range.

"The fact that we've managed to reach a negotiated settlement is of benefit to all," said UCTEU president Andrea Plos. "We can now get back to the support and administration of a world-class university."

The union had demanded a 5.5% across-the-board increase as well as a 1.5% performance-based increase. The monetary settlement reached means that everyone whose performance has met their job requirements in the past year will get more, based on the performance system.

The salary increases will be implemented at the end of April, back-dated to January.

"The management and the union will continue to work together on refining the pay-for-performance system this year," Plos added.

"Our members are loyal employees and the decision to strike - and the unprecedented strike action - did not come easily. I think it was our determination to get a fair deal that convinced management to modify their offer to meet our demands more closely.

"But now it's back to work - we've some catching up to do."