100 signatures reached
To: UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE, SJ van Jaarsveld, Human Resources Director
REINSTATE MR TREVOR SHAKU TO HIS JOB AS RESEARCH ASSISTANT
We the undersigned call for the immediate reinstatement of Mr Trevor Shaku who received a letter of dismissal because he participated in an unprotected strike in support of underpaid contract and outsourced workers at the University of the Free State. We consider the appallingly low pay of these workers at your institution as akin to slavery, and the dismissal of Mr Shaku as a violation of the Constitution of South Africa and of our labour laws. The act of dismissing Mr Shaku is not only vindictive, but also racist, by an institution with a long history of racist actions.
Why is this important?
Mr Trevor Shaku was dismissed for allegedly participating in protest marches and an unprotected strike. In the letter of dismissal the strike is referred to as an "illegal" strike. There is no such thing as an illegal strike in South African labour law, and striking is in fact a Constitutional Right. Mr Shaku withheld his labour in solidarity with sub-contracted/outsourced labour. Many of the workers employed by subcontractors at the University of the Free State, Mr Shaku's employer earn as little as R2500 (US$119) or less per month, in a country as poor as Zimbabwe, the poverty datum line income was US$495. We therefore demand that Mr Shaku be reinstated to his job with immediate effect.