Free education/October6/Wits response to Oct6

RESPONSE TO MEMORANDUM DEMANDING INSOURCING AT UNIVERSITIES PRESENTED BY THE ‪#‎OCT6‬ MOVEMENT

The University recognises that outsourcing is one of the key issues that needs to be addressed through its broader transformation plan implemented this year and recognises it as a legitimate national struggle.

In a meeting with the President and several cabinet ministers held this week, the need to insource workers was put on the national agenda by several higher education leaders, including Wits’ Vice-Chancellor, all of whom have the will to put workers on the payroll systems of universities, but who are constrained by the limited resources to manage their respective institutions.

Wits cannot afford to insource without additional income from government. It is not an option to raise student fees by 15% above the normal increase to make up the at least R200 million required annually to insource all workers. Our current budget is under tremendous pressure to provide more financial aid for students, to maintain health and safety standards and to upgrade infrastructure and information technology systems, amongst other priorities. Even if management were to discontinue the system of variable pay, the Distinguished Professors Programme, research incentives and other strategic initiatives, the amounts realised will be far below the costs of insourcing. In addition, we will not do so because it would weaken our competitive academic position and undermine the quality of our academic and research programmes. This is simply not tenable and it is irresponsible for some in our midst to advocate for a course of action that would undermine our strategic objectives that were adopted by both Senate and Council.

However, Wits is one of only a handful of universities to have taken concrete steps to protect those that work on our campus: 1. We have written penalties into our existing contracts that require companies to abide by certain minimum salary thresholds and observe acceptable labour standards. If they fail to do this, we are entitled to cancel our contracts.

2. Some of our academics should be lauded for trying to assist workers to establish co-operatives to compete for contracts and tenders for some of the University’s outsourced services.

3. Wits is exploring partnerships with civil society organisations and unions to launch a national campaign, the goal of which would be to increase subsidies to universities with a view to insourcing all outsourced services that involve vulnerable workers.

The #Oct6 movement is therefore correct that there should be increased investment in universities to address these challenges. Perhaps a way forward in this regard is to take the lead and to work with the University, workers, unions and other partners to lobby government to increase subsidies to public universities. Thank you

Senior Executive Team University of the Witwatersrand 9 October 2015