Cleaners, gardeners and catering staff at the University of Cape Town (UCT) receive as little as R7 an hour — and now the students are demanding a better deal for them.
Catering, cleaning and maintenance were controversially outsourced in 1999, in a process that saw more than 200 workers retrenched.
“Take Action UCT” on Tuesday handed over a petition signed by nearly 5 000 students — about a quarter of the campus — calling on the administration to implement a “code of good practice” for the outsourcing companies and pay workers an allowance from May 1.
“We stress that the conditions that workers experience are inappropriate for UCT,” it says.
“UCT knowingly signed contracts with companies resulting in massive reductions in wages for workers. UCT therefore shares responsibility with the companies for the present poverty that workers experience.”
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) welcomed the initiative.
“Clearly workers are exploited,” said iKapa Metropole secretary Suraya Jawoodeen, laying much of the blame on the national focus on turning tertiary education institutions into “effective cost centres” and on enrolment statistics as a sign of transformation.
Nehawu members who were employed by the outsourcing companies have left “because of the appalling working conditions”, said Jawoodeen.
“This institution produces knowledge for a better South Africa. They all theorise about poverty and development.
“But there is no contradiction for them in companies coming and paying their workers R7 an hour and demanding they bring their own safety boots.”
UCT deputy vice-chancellor Professor Martin West, who accepted the petition, said an audit of the practices and conditions of service at the outsourcing companies was already under way. Once completed, the university would “formulate an appropriate code of good practice before we request proposals for any new contracts in the outsourced areas”.
“Take Action UCT” was formed late last year by students concerned about the workers’ plight: “We work with the cleaners and catering staff. They are part of the campus community and they are struggling to feed their children.”