Tuks management lifts suspension of violent EFF students – Solidarity

7 March 2016

Trade unions Solidarity and UPWO have criticised the decision by the University of Pretoria (UP) management to lift the suspension of four EFF students. At a meeting over the weekend, UP management decided to lift the suspension of the group of EFF students who had been suspended recently due to public violence on campus.

Solidarity and UPWO threatened to withdraw their members at UP from the workplace should the suspended students take part in or incite any further violent actions on campus, and by doing so, compromise the safety of their members. The trade unions also demanded that management should ensure the long-term safety of their members.  

Johan Botha, Deputy General Secretary of the Professional Industry at Solidarity, said that UP management was promoting a culture of impunity and violence by allowing the suspended students to return to campus. “It is becoming increasingly simple to get your own way through violence. Such a culture of impunity allows violence and disruptions to prevail instead of constructive dialogue and negotiation,” Botha warned. 

Botha is of the opinion that UP is also negating its own undertaking that violence would no longer be tolerated on campus. “University management has given an undertaking to ensure the safety of our members on campus. However, due to the decision to allow violent students back on campus, staff are once again being exposed to potentially unsafe working conditions. We therefore request that management ratify the suspension of those students for the duration of the disciplinary enquiry against them,” Botha said.

Solidarity and UPWO together represent approximately 1 000 members at UP.

Statement issued by Johan Botha, Deputy General Secretary: Professional Industry, 7 March 2016