This comes after the union demanded that the institution do away with the controversial outsourcing of workers. This as the workers and Students Forum (WSF) on Friday accepted the offer from the institution to insource them in 2021. This amidst the differences between the workers' union and South African Student Congress (Sasco), which is said to have attempted to hijack the protest for its own selfish reasons.

GIWUSA official, Vuyo Mapompo, tells OFM News this is a victory for workers as the offer comes with the opportunity of being able to make demands to the institution that will ensure that the future of workers is safe and secured.

By the time of publishing the story, the institution's management had not yet responded to an inquiry sent by OFM News. "Accepting the institution's offer means that workers will now be able to demand a pay increment, stay of victimisation by the institution, a request of benefits like those who are insourced by the university," he adds.

OFM News previously reported that workers had earlier been divided with the one group agreeing with the leadership of the union to accept the offer while the other group was declining the offer and wanted to continue with the protests. Mapompo says on several occasions students wanted to lead workers astray when they advised them to go inside buildings, including the students' library and the computer lab, amongst others.

He adds that it was during this chaos that he had a confrontation with students who had already infiltrated the ranks of the workers and influenced them otherwise, and also called him a sell-out for encouraging workers to accept the offer. 

Earlier, the institution's spokesperson, Lacea Loader, said the institution was committed in discussing issues with the workers.

OFM News