This protest is currently taking place at the university’s main campus in Bloemfontein, where close to 250 contractual workers, together with some students, demand that the UFS immediately insource all contractual workers of the main, south and Qwaqwa campuses respectively.

According to a member of the Workers and Socialist Party, Trevor Shaku, they also want to resolve issues regarding the relationship among workers, contractors and the university. He says protesting will continue until management not only respond, but fulfil their expectations after a memorandum was submitted on 28 January this year.

“We believe the working class should be regarded as a unit. It is divided into three sections - the students, the workers and the unemployed. If we are going to undertake any struggles to improve the living conditions of this working class entirely, we have to fight and make alliances in all three sections. We fight this because we regard it as a ‘working struggle’.”

OFM News