ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Monday it would be meeting with management of the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) to discuss a new wage offer for striking workers.  

The union is demanding a 12% increase across the board, increasing wages for the lowest earners to R9,000 a month from R7,500, a rise in the night shift allowance from R360 to R800, and for the university to directly employ 85 workers currently outsourced.  After an initial 8% salary offer, Wits’ new proposal includes an increase of at least 7% for higher earners and an increase of 9.2% for the lowest paid workers in grade 16 and 17.  It has also proposed to end the low wages which were paid to workers whose employment was facilitated by labour brokers.  In that regard, the university has proposed establishing a task team to integrate those workers fully into grade 15 by July, bringing the lowest paid workers closer to achieving a “living wage”.

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