NTEU welcomes the phased return of students announced by Minister Nzimande and expects full compliance in terms of the necessary health and safety regulations from management. NTEU further appreciates the openness of the ministerial task team (MTT) towards organised labour during this crisis and recognises the need for similar engagement among university stakeholders. NTEU General Secretary, Mr Grant Abbott, painted the following picture for the return to higher education. "These are unconventional times for the country and the world of work. Unions, student groups and management will have to learn to work together.”, said Abbott.
The union supports the minister’s call for PSET institutions to ensure full consultations with staff and student bodies in terms of the necessary safeguards to manage risk and the safe resumption of activities. NTEU calls on all councils to ensure that these are put in place, including the establishment of workplace health and safety committees.
Still looming is the uncertainty surrounding multimodal teaching and learning methods. NTEU Executive for Skills and Development, Mr Titus Williams, supported the online access to student portals and the hard copy deliveries to students with challenges to access and the minister’s decision to not take a “one size fits all” approach.
With significant differences from institution to institution NTEU will continue to engage on this in the MTT – guided by the principle of “No staff left behind, no student left behind, and institution left behind”.
NTEU is a politically non-aligned trade union organizing exclusively in the Higher Education sector and is aligned to FEDUSA, the largest trade union federation in South Africa.