Durban — More than 150 non-academic staff at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) will be without jobs by Wednesday.
This week, a group of them took to the streets to protest against their impending retrenchments.
The affected departments include human resources, information technology systems and services, real estate management and finance.
According to a letter from DUT to the staff members, they were being retrenched due to the university restructuring its operations.
“The proposed restructure is aimed at aligning with the university’s ENVISION2030. This is in line with the strategy adopted by the university with a view to optimising operating dynamics of the university harnessing its focus and delivering modalities.
“The institutional reviews that were undertaken were informed by key principles such as financial sustainability, the implementation of ENVISION2030, technological changes and organisational viability,” DUT stated.
The initial proposal was to retrench 43 staff members but the number grew to 112 and then 152.
“There appear to be 112 positions likely to be affected as a result of this proposed restructuring exercise,” DUT stated in the document.
Wiseman Zazi Madinane, chairperson of the DUT council, said in an email to the Tertiary Education National Union South Africa (Tenusa), that the verified figure to be retrenched was 43.
However, during the 12 months preceding the date of the first notice of retrenchment, 24 employees had already been retrenched as a result of the university’s operational requirements.
After receiving the email from Madinane, the university sent another document stating that 152 positions would be affected by retrenchment. The university has 1545 employees.
Trade unions and staff complained that the proper processes for retrenchment were not followed and took their concerns to the Labour Management Consultative Forum. This resulted in Tenusa referring an urgent interdict to the Labour Court, which found that the consultations were inadequate and that the retrenchment process was procedurally unfair.
Ashley Benjamin, deputy general secretary of the Federation of Unions South Africa (Fedusa), said the court directed DUT to engage meaningfully with Tenusa on a Section 189 in full.
“On the contrary, the DUT elected to place the trade unions and the employees on terms through Section 189A (3) notices to tick the box in respect of procedural grounds.
“DUT has the audacity to employ an 80/20 recruitment principle under the umbrella of restructuring, making it an ultimate determination for internal employees to be eligible for appointment in the new structure, breaching their contract.”
However, DUT externally still advertised posts, with largely similar job descriptions, in the new structure and appointed external employees in posts occupied by internal qualifying employees.
“For more than a year, there have been persons who were employed under the banner of restructuring while current incumbents continue to occupy the same posts, leaving two persons employed to fulfil the same functions. If this is not maladministration, then what is?
“Fedusa is appalled at the manner the DUT elected to engage in restructuring that led to the council approving the retrenchment of 43 employees while its management indicated to the trade unions that 152 employees will face retrenchments.
“New admin buildings are being built amid a R2 billion infrastructure development projects, but DUT is retrenching admin employees, with academics to follow soon. Over the past five years, management's salary has doubled which points out to the fact that DUT is financially stable,” said Benjamin.
Spokesperson Simangele Zuma said DUT was committed to ensuring that the restructuring process aligned with its strategic objectives.
“As the restructuring progresses, the university is dedicated to handling any necessary changes with integrity and consideration for our staff and stakeholders. The legal process has not commenced at this stage and therefore no determination has been made on any retrenchment.”
Sunday Tribune