Nehawu promises healthcare sector strike will go ahead
Following months of deadlocked negotiations with the health department, Nehawu is now pushing ahead with its plans to see a full-blown health sector strike.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) can be seen protesting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 21 September 2020, demanding President Cyril Ramaphosa responds to the memorandum of demands they submitted to him earlier in the month. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Health sector union Nehawu has vowed to forge ahead with plans to embark on a national strike over the employment conditions of community healthcare workers, after months of being at loggerheads with the National Department of Health.
“This is a fight we are not prepared to lose and we are prepared to hold the bull by the horns and sleep with the hyena for the full-time employment of these workers including the implementation of all outstanding collective bargaining agreements,’ said Nehawu General Secretary, Zola Saphetha.
On Thursday the union notified the department of its balloting process, which was already under way, for the planned strike.
Discussions between community health workers and government broke down after government failed to absorb them into permanent employment.
Earlier this month, Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council [PHSDSBC] issued Nehawu with a certificate of non-resolution for a dispute of mutual interest. The union is now set to intensify its campaign to mobilise workers in the public health sector in defence, it says, of collective bargaining and the reversal of the gains of workers.
Lunch hour pickets which were already an ongoing effort, would be intensified to this end, with union leaders called in to attend and rally for support.
“Community Healthcare Workers have been exploited and undermined by the employer while they continue to selflessly provide healthcare services even under very harsh conditions and most of the time with no proper working tools. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country has proven beyond reasonable doubt that our healthcare system especially in the rural areas and townships needs the services of these workers,’ said Saphetha.
– Simnikiweh@citizen.co.za
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