Nehawu strikers disrupt services in Mbombela
Nehawu's president, Mike Shingange, said this is an indefinite strike, and when it will end all depends on the employer and whether they attend to their demands.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) held a public service strike on Monday March 6, disrupting daily services at various government facilities.
The union has been locked in a long battle with government over wages and the filling of posts. It had appealed against a court order, obtained by the Department of Public Service and Administration, to interdict the protest.
Nehawu served its strike notice on February 24. In Mbombela, the protesters blockaded the entrance to Rob Ferreira Hospital. This interrupted the daily services at the building, and some patients were quick to raise their concerns.
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The protesters also took their grievances to the entrance of the Mpumalanga Government Complex.
Nehawu’s president, Mike Shingange, said this is an indefinite strike that will stop when their employers meet their demands. “How long the protest will take, will all depend on our employers and how they feel about the chaos they see in all these public service institutions. This is a skrike by people who have rejected the 3% increase. We have gone back to our original demand of 10%.
“We want the employers to come to the table so that we can negotiate a proper settlement that will serve both parties. Since 2007, we have being asking for the vacant posts to be filled. We want bursaries for children of public servants. They cannot qualify for the NFSAS because of the money that they earn. We are demanding a comprehensive subsidy. The public servants do not qualify for an RDP.
“We will determine how long the strike must take. They tried to interdict us. We appealed and we are waiting for the outcome. We are allowed to go on as long as there’s a necessity for the protest to proceed.”
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George Mthethwa, the spokesperson for the Office of the Premier, said the provincial government has put measures in place to make sure that employees who are supposed to report for duty, do so in an environment that is safe. “There are security measures instituted. We take note that there are areas where interruptions perhaps occurred. We want to emphasise that we are keeping a close eye on matters.”
