Press Statement dated 5 December 2018
The government body tasked with the advancement and co-ordination of scholarship, research and ethical practice in the fields of Humanities and the Social Sciences has entered into the second month of a protracted strike action. In what is seemingly a bizarre situation, The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) established on 5 December 2013 by the Department of Higher Education has seen employees down tools for almost two months.
At the heart of the dispute is what is seen as an unprecedented flouting of the Labour Relations Act by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NIHSS, Dr Sarah Mosoetsa and the Board. According to employee representative union, (APSA), the CEO nullified the Bargaining Forum that was in the process of negotiating wages and simply implemented a wage percentage that was not agreed to by any party!
In terms of Labour Relations Act regulations, any wage settlement or agreement between any parties has to be signed and agreed upon by both parties. However in this case it seems the management of NIHSS simply sent an e mail to employees informing them of a lowly percentage increase that management had decided upon despite the fact that wage negotiations were underway. Five minutes after sending an e mail on a unilateral wage increase, the money was simply deposited into employee accounts thereby ignoring a legally constituted bargaining platform.
Astounded employees approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in mid-October to resolve what was perceived and seen as an anomaly within a government institution operating within the ambit of the law. The CCMA granted employees a certificate for strike action and employees have been on strike since October.
APSA says during this period the institution has not reverted back or sought to redress the situation but simply shut shop and prevented employees from entering NIHSS premises. The employees had put across a wage demand ranging from 7% to 9% whereas management simply deposited 5.5% for October and did not pay salaries for November. The national government is seemingly oblivious of this standstill which involves about 50% of employees in an organisation that comprises of just under 40 employees.
The NIHSS was formed in 2013 by the then Minister of Higher Education, Dr Blade Nzimande and is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training who also said “The role of the humanities and social sciences must not only assist us in analysing and interpreting the world we live in, but it must enable us to change the material conditions and lived experiences of those most marginalised and alienated in society.”
The NIHSS has to date funded over a hundred PhD graduates and also funds researchers beyond South Africa‘s borders. Embattled and perplexed employees have made a compassionate plea to government to intervene in a situation that might result in massive litigation against the government and wholesale job losses.
Issued by Ms Hlanzekile Mbokazi, Academic and Professional Staff Association (APSA) NIHSS Shop Steward