UCT staffers protest university management’s 3.5% wage hike
The university's Professional, Administrative and Support Service staff are locked in negotiations with university executives for a 7% increase to their salaries.
University of Cape Town (UCT) staffers protest the university's management's 3.5% wage increase on 27 February 2026. Picture: Carlo Petersen/EWN
University of Cape Town (UCT) staffers are protesting the university management's 3.5% wage increase.
The university's Professional, Administrative and Support Service (PASS) staff are locked in negotiations with university executives for a 7% increase to their salaries.
Various unions representing the staff initiated the demonstration at the institution's upper campus on Thursday, after management offered a 3.5% pay bump.
A small group of UCT staff gathered outside the university's Sarah Baartman Hall on Friday morning.
Salary negotiations started in November but reached a deadlock when UCT refused to go above 3.5%.
More than 150 protesters marched from the upper campus to lower campus on Thursday to hand over a memorandum to university management, demanding a 7% increase.
UCT administrative worker Neliswa Sigonyela said the workers will continue protesting until their demands are met.
"So, yesterday [Thursday], we started our protest to engage with the management to tell them that as workers of UCT PASS staff members, we are still requesting our 7% that we talked about previously."
UCT management has warned staff who opt to go on strike that they will have to endure the university's "no work, no pay" policy.