MASERU — The Limkokwing University management says non-academic staff members have not been excluded from salary increments.
Last week the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Non-Academic Staff Union (Lunasu) said they have been side-lined from the salary increment that was implemented for academic staff members last September.
The management said they are still in negotiations with the non-academic staff on their salary increment proposals.
Lunasu told the media that they were still fighting with the management over the salary increments.
The union also alleged that the management had rejected a new salary structure approved by the university’s owner in Malaysia.
However, the Limkokwing management told the media on Tuesday that Lunasu’s allegations were not true because salary negotiations have not yet been concluded.
The management said so far workers have been offered increments ranging between 27 and 37 percent depending on qualifications of each employee.
“Statutory inflation will be included every year,” said Limkokwing University’s corporate secretary Tefo Macheli.
The workers had demand a 40 percent salary increase.
Macheli said although the management has offered less than what the workers had wanted negotiations were still in progress.
He said they still hope to agree on a favourable increment for non-academic staff members who hold degrees.
He said there was still disagreement on figures.
Lunasu has since lodged a complaint with office of the Directorate of Dispute Prevention and Resolution (DDPR) seeking a resolution to the deadlock.
“We have a disagreement which we still have to resolve. Non-academic staff members who have degrees have demanded more than what we are offering. But we have made progress in most of the negotiations,” Macheli said.
“The management is not intending to spite the holders of degrees among non-academic staff members. We have to make some decisions basing ourselves on the university’s financial status. There are still other things that need to be done for the growth of the university,” he said.
He said the university was still looking into implementing some measures to increase benefits for employees.
“We have nothing against the union seeking a third person to intervene. There is nothing wrong with that. It should be clear that they are not taking legal action against the management,” he said.
Lunasu leader Kabelo Lehora said they will continue to seek intervention if the DDPR fails to convince the management to go with the rest of the increment proposals.
“Non-academic staff members have settled for what they want. We have heard that the management is also adamant on what they have put down. We will have to seek further intervention if the DDPR does not resolve this,” Lehora said.
