Cleaners, kitchen workers, security workers, gardeners and other out-sourced workers at colleges and universities across Tshwane are getting organised. Throughout November and December hundreds of workers attended mass meetings, formed committees and founded the #outsourcingmustfall campaign which is now organised on more than 20 Tshwane campuses. Out-sourced workers at Tshwane municipality and national government departments are also getting organised and taking part in the campaign.
The mighty student movement that forced university managements and the ANC government to abandon fee increases in 2016 also won many agreements to end out-sourcing. Workers are demanding the same in Tshwane – where no agreement has been made, #outsourcingmustfall demands one; where agreements ‘in principle’ exist, #outsourcingmustfall demands their immediate implementation. But simply ending out-sourcing is not enough. The poverty wages and lack of benefits must end. #outsourcingmustfall demands that all in-sourced workers receive a minimum wage of R10,000 with full benefits. At the University of Free State workers won a 100% pay rise as part of the in-sourcing agreement with management, with the Socialist Youth Movement (WASP’s youth wing) playing a leading role.
The Workers and Socialist Party is playing a full part in the #outsourcingmustfall campaign. We call on Tshwane students and permanent and academic staff to give their full support to the campaign as the colleges and universities re-open after the holidays.
#outsourcingmustfall Memorandum
We, the security, landscaping, cleaning and other outsourced workers are resolved as follows:
1) To demand an immediate end to outsourcing of jobs in all the above-mentioned universities and colleges, termination of all contracts with service providers and employment of all the outsourced workers by the university/college on a permanent, full-time and decent basis.
2) To demand an immediate implementation of the minimum wage of R10 000 across the board. Our wages have been stagnant, if not falling in the past decade and half of outsourcing in most institutions and families starving, whilst the principals and other fat cats at these institutions and the ‘tenderpreneurs’ parasiting on our hard work have become filthy rich.
3) Moratorium on retrenchments of all workers employed in contracts and/or immediate reinstatement of all the workers recently retrenched through termination of contracts with service providers.
4) To declare that nothing about us without us shall henceforth be valid and morally binding on us. In pursuit of this declaration, we resolved to constitute ourselves into #outsourcingmustfall campaign, with elected and accountable representatives in each and every institution through which we shall negotiate and without which no agreement binding shall be concluded.
5) To convey our unwavering support to all the demands of the #feesmustfall movement for free, quality education and decent learning conditions in all the institutions and pledge solidarity for all their future actions in pursuit of these and other legitimate demands for people’s education.
6) To appeal for solidarity and active support from all the students, administrative and academic staff of the university/college to our demands, struggle and any action we may be forced to take in pursuit of the above demands.
7) To afford you another three days, in addition to more than a decade and half you had of applying your learned minds to the injustice of your actions and slavery of the outsourced workers.