The Academic & Professional Staff Association

The Academic and Professional Staff Association (APSA) of the Universities of South Africa is a registered trade union. We have been active on the campuses of Unisa as a trade union from our inception in 1991 (when the Teaching Staff Association became a union). The Teaching Staff Association first came into existence in 1947 and was eventually registered as a trade union when the current Labour Relations Act became effective in November 1995. APSA is an independent, a-political and autonomous union and is entirely self-funded. We are not affiliated to any political party or movement, and are not affiliated to any other union or union federation.

Our members enjoy the right to freedom of expression and association. We do however co-operate with other unions in the Higher Education Sector when it is in the best interest of our members to do so. Our primary task is to help, support and protect our members. We accept and loudly proclaim that a university is not simply like any other workplace, as universities are academic institutions. Thus, our natural focus has always been and will remain to promote the interest of the academic sector. That means that we will approach general collective matters from an academic perspective where it is appropriate. That is not only a unique and different perspective, but at a university, a necessary one. One of the major changes is that previously (before 2006) our recognition agreement prevented us from representing non-academic employees and support staff. This was due to the dispensation that we inherited at the outset of APSAs first recognition as a registered trade union in 1995.

Labour is Entitled to Everything it Creates.

Vision

Our aim is to improve job security on a broad basis through existing procedures. We also strive to improve existing benefits and the general working environment. We are committed to improving the working conditions of academic as well as non-academic employees through a collective effort. Naturally, since we represent academic, research and support staff at Universities, our aim also includes improving the standard of education within Universities. For APSA to achieve this, participation in the Bargaining Forum in universities is of the utmost importance, since this is where conditions of employment, working conditions and general policies regarding this institution and its employees are discussed and decided.

Aims and objectives

  1. To promote the interests of members in relation to employers;
  2. To improve the wages and working conditions of all workers in the Tertiary and Higher Education Sector, Research and Development Sectors and/ or related industries and/or staff attached to the mentioned sectors including the organized and every un/organized worker in our sector or attached to our sector and scope;
  3. To strike legally without fear of dismissal, to picket and to participate in secondary strikes and protest action, to promote or defend the socio-economic interest of workers;
  4. To fight against arbitrary and unfair dismissal of workers;
  5. To resist retrenchment and fight for full employment;
  6. To fight for adequate social security from the state and from employers;
  7. To enter into collective bargaining forums for the purpose of negotiating and entering into collective agreements with employers and associations of employers.
  1. To support the spirit and principle of democracy in all the union’s activities;
  2. To build a strong and democratic organizations of workers at the workplace;
  3. To build strong and active shop-steward structures to ensure democratic worker control;
  4. To achieve full and effective participation by workers in all decision-making affecting them in the workplace;
  5. To end all forms of discrimination in employment;
  1. To unite all workers in the Tertiary and Higher Education Sectors and/ or related industries and/ or staff attached to the mentioned sectors within one Union;
  2. To encourage within worker’s spirit of trade union unity;
  3. To create one federation of trade unions to represent all workers in South Africa;
  4. To build solidarity between workers and unions in different countries.

Important Documents

Apsa membership form

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APSA Constitution

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