Rhodes Must Fall, UCT Must Change

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Statement by the University of Cape Town Workers Forum and the UCT Workers Solidarity Committee

Black workers built UCT with their own hands in the colonial past. Black workers were oppressed at UCT in the Apartheid past. Black workers were retrenched and outsourced at UCT in the post-Apartheid past.The first people to know about racism and sexism and exploitation at UCT are the black women workers. It is there in workers’ lives every day. There is no UCT without the labour of workers.Workers stand with the students in struggle and solidarity and say together: Rhodes will fall! UCT must change! Together in struggle and solidarity we must change UCT! It cannot be that students can only learn if workers suffer. It cannot be that academics can only do their work if workers suffer. It cannot be that there is only education if capitalist bosses can make a profit.  But it is all happening here at UCT.

Workers’ Demands:

  • R10,000 pm minimum basic as a step towards a living wage. In the spirit of Marikana.

UCT powers must commit to a living wage. Get rid of Supplemented Living Level which maintains poverty. Get rid of CPI to decide increases. It means that wages never really increase and workers are forever left in poverty.

  • Outsourcing must end. The bosses must go. All the workers must stay.

This is a public sector institution. There should be no capitalist companies brought here to make profits. Education must be free. UCT must directly employ everyone working here. Workers must know that their job is safe. With decent working conditions. And comfortable lives.

  • NO VICTIMISATION. No worker must be penalised in any way for supporting and joining protest action, including strike action, at UCT.
  • NO VICTIMISATION. No worker must be penalised in any way for refusing to act against protest or protestors at UCT.
  • Workers must be able, without penalty of any kind, to refuse work that is a danger or hazard to their health and safety.

These are demands against UCT management. They are demands that UCT must change. And the lives of workers must change.

Whether workers are outsourced or not, UCT is the real boss. UCT had the power to retrench all the workers and bring companies here to make profits. UCT has the power force the companies to meet these demands. UCT has the power to get rid of the companies and directly employ the workers according to these demands without loss of jobs, pay or benefits.

Workers must not suffer so that others can learn and teach. Bosses must not make profits when others learn and teach. Education must be free!

There is no real transformation if workers must continue to live in poverty. There is no real transformation if workers must continue to risk their health and safety just to put food on the table. There is no real transformation if workers must walk in fear of voicing their views and their demands, facing intimidation and victimisation. It cannot be that there is transformation if poverty continues and nothing changes in the lives of workers.

 Rhodes will fall! UCT must change! Together in struggle and solidarity,

workers and students, we must change UCT!

 Published with acknowlegment to and the permission of the UCT Workers Forum and the UCT Workers Solidarity Committee. These bodies were formed  to unite all workers in struggle against outsourcing and to fight together in solidarity for their needs, regardless of employer and/or union.  The UCT Workers Solidarity Committee is part of the UCT Workers Forum and supports the United Front and opposes the expulsion of NUMSA from COSATU.