DUT lecturers

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Durban: Over 30 retrenched DUT lecturers protest to get their jobs back

Retrenched DUT lecturers have marched to get rehired after getting dismissed for not having Master’s degree requirements.

DUT lecturers

Image by Flickr

Over 30 retrenched Durban University of Technology (DUT) lecturers staged a protest outside the institution’s gates on Friday 17 September. The group lost their jobs for not meeting the necessary lecturer minimum requirements of a Master’s degree. The 31 DUT lecturers believe that the university did not follow Section 189 processes to fire them.

DUT LECTURERS DEMAND SECTION 189 LAW

According to the Department of Labour, Section 189, a Labour Relations Act (“LRA”), permits employers to dismiss employees for operational requirements. These are defined as requirements based on economic, technological, structural or similar needs of the employer.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), has informed the DUT lecturers that the university took a unilateral decision to terminate their contracts whilst discussions were still underway, and therefore missed the Section 189 process.

Nehawu’s provincial secretary, Ayanda Zulu, told SABC News that the institution has prematurely dismissed the DUT lecturers.

“It is our view as Nehawu that the discussion about these retrenchments in terms of Section 189 are still ongoing,” he said.

“That is why we were extremely shocked when we heard the news that the university had taken a unilateral decision to terminate these contracts. We are still committed as Nehawu to discuss these acts.”

DUT RESPOND TO PROTEST

Following the protest from the DUT lecturers, the university came out to the media to offer their side of the story. According to the statement, the institution made its minimum requirement decision for lecturers as early as 2008, therefore, Section 189 was followed.

“Durban University of Technology management says a decision was made in 2008 that a Master’s degree be a minimum requirement for a lecturer,” the university said via Lotus FM.

Additionally, the aggrieved parties of dismissed DUT lecturers have been aware of the rule for long enough. “The university says affected academics were well aware that this was a mandatory requirement,” DUT added.

“DUT further states that fair and transparent processes were undertaken in retrenching the 31 academics,” the statement concluded.