BARBERTON – The saga surrounding Barberton General Hospital continues as the DA also gets on the bandwagon, demanding answers to certain questions. An instruction by a labour relations officer of the Department of Health, Rexson Khoza, to order the
38 workers – who were allegedly favourably employed – to take up their positions, triggered anger among hospital personnel last Tuesday.
And now the workers, who call their newly recruited colleagues “Pakistanis” because they believe they have been illegally employed, have vowed to cause anarchy at the public institution should the provincial Department of Health fail to take meaningful action in response to allegations of nepotism made by workers regarding a large-scale recruitment process. The labourers have given the department a five-day ultimatum to respond, failing which, they have threatened to down tools.
Last Tuesday morning the employees reported for duty. Later they gathered outside the office of the chief executive officer, Maatlape Mawela, singing struggle songs.
This was after Khoza had arrived earlier and ordered the new recruits to take up their positions. This appeared to trigger anger among the workers. They had not done any work since they were appointed on October 1. On Thursday October 31, they received their first payment without having lifted a finger for the whole month.
“The fact that these new recruits were paid a month’s salary without working is blatant corruption of the worst kind. First of all they did not qualify and secondly the no-work, no-play principle should have applied,” said Richard Lukhele on behalf of the DA.
“We would like to use our various options in ensuring that this matter is investigated, even if the HOD is uncomfortable with this,” he continued.
In the meantime, Emanuel Mokwena, Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa’s provincial secretary, said they had issued an ultimatum to the department to halt the appointments, pending the investigation.
“Our demands are clear: we want the entire panel that sat for shortlisting and interviews to be suspended while investigations are conducted. Anyone who is found guilty of misconduct, should be dealt with according to the Dsciplinary Code, Conduct and Procedure Resolutions of 2002,” said Mokwena. He said they had given the department five working days as from last Wednesday to respond.
“If the department fails to suspend the panel and halt these appointments, the workers will have no choice but to engage in a go-slow. We will report for work but will not work or teach the new recruits,” he said.
The secretary said if the department in the province ignored their attempts for constructive engagement, the personnel would have no other recourse but to up the ante. “As a responsible trade union that uses industrial action as a last resort, we are prepared to bus people to the office of the minister of health, Aaron Motsoaledi. We did it at Middelburg Hospital and we are ready to repeat it here in Barberton,” said Mokwena.
