MBOMBELA – Majority of the workers are seen wearing their NEHAWU union T-shirts. They gathered at the hospital’s auditorium and started marching through the wards.
An employee, who wishes to remain anonymous because of a fear of being victimised, said, “We are overworked. There are vacant posts that have not yet been filled.
The department has now even cut down on overtime for the dentists. We also have a serious problem with a lack of uniforms, the general workers and porters have no uniforms. The CEO has no interest in our concerns. He should also leave.”
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The NEHAWU regional secretary of Ehlanzeni, Mr Sdumo Masilela, said, “This march is informed by the internal issues of the hospital. It is also a build-up to the provincial public-sector march that will take place tomorrow. It will start at the Lowveld show grounds and end at the Mpumalanga Legislature.” Masilela also explained that this march is due to the cut-off of overtime for dentists and the transfer of employees from other hospitals to Robs. Such decisions were made without consulting the union. The shortage of uniforms and the CEO’s capacity is also questionable.
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The provincial march is also due to issues regarding the employees income levels. “There are specific problems with salary level one and two. Furthermore, level nine and 10 need to be promoted to 11 and 12. There is also a problem with bursary policies as the department reduced the benefits of students. They have cut down on funding for transport and accommodation. The working conditions are not good for our members,” he concluded.
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Spokesperson from the Department of Health, Mr Dumisani Malamula, said, “We are aware of the march taking place at Rob Ferreira Hospital and are monitoring it. We have also called police officers to monitor the situation. We are trying to discuss all the concerns that have been brought to us.”
