Anniversary Message: Three Decades of Achieving Together

To the Management Committee, Office Staff, and Valued Members of UVPERSU

It is a distinct honour and privilege to extend my warmest congratulations on the momentous milestone of UVPERSU’s 30th anniversary.

Reflecting on my time as chairperson, I am reminded of the immense responsibility we carried to ensure fairness, protect job security, and foster an environment where every voice mattered. We always knew that a university’s greatest asset is its people. Standing today as the majority, representative union at the UFS is a profound testament to the decades of hard work, consistency, and dedication of everyone who has stepped up to lead and serve.

A university’s greatest asset is its people.

Henk Potgieter, Past Chairperson

Through major shifts in the higher education landscape, salary negotiations, and institutional changes, UVPERSU has never lost sight of its core identity. You have lived out the motto beautifully: “We listen to truly hear, we care through action, and so we add value to the working environment.”

By remaining independent, multi-cultural, and strictly focused on the collective welfare of your members, you have retained the integrity that sets this union apart. You have protected academic freedom while simultaneously ensuring social justice and equity have wings on our campuses.

To the current leadership team and staff: thank you for keeping the flame burning brightly and adapting so resiliently to the evolving modern workplace. To the members: thank you for your unwavering trust and loyalty, which remains the true backbone of this organization.

As you celebrate 30 years of triumphs, may you continue to stand strong, protect the vulnerable, and build an even more influential future. Here is to the next chapter of collective success.

Let us continue to achieve together!