Campus protest after 66 lecturers dismissed
The EMC staff and students braved the heat in Uitenhage to make themselves heard through song and dance in front of the campus, which was subsequently closed.
National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) branch chairman Sandile Sanda cited several reasons for the protest - salary increase grievances, management's failure to meet union members and the dismissal of staff members.
After being hit by protests and campus closures for months last year, EMC fired 66 staff members last week in their absence after they failed to arrive for disciplinary hearings on Tuesday last week.
"We as Nehawu blew the whistle on nepotism, corruption and mismanagement in this college last year, and it is still carrying on today. One of the main grievances is the unfair dismissal of 66 staff members last week," Sanda said.
"We have made numerous resolutions for the EMC management to consider, but they simply refuse to sit around a table with us to discuss the issues and move forward."
EMC spokeswoman Elmari van der Merwe said all their campuses except the Charles Goodyear one were open and busy with registration. She had not commented on the college's plan to resolve the issue at the time of going to press.