‘We are sick, tired of contract renewals’: Gauteng health workers demand permanent jobs

The Gauteng Department of Health workers has been accused of exploiting its contract worker by refusing to employ them on a permanent basis.

Members of the Health and Allied workers Indaba Trade Union (Haitu) and the Independent Liberation and Allied Workers Union (ILAWU) marched to the provincial department and Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s offices in Johannesburg on Monday, to hand over their memorandum of demands.

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The unions are demanding permanent employment of all contract workers, who are facing the prospect of being out of jobs at the end of the financial year.

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers’ right have been abused, according to the unions, as they have been working for the department on a contractual basis for more than 15 years.

They are also demanding that the department rehire the workers whose contracts ended in February 2023, allegedly without notice.

‘Pillar’

Speaking to eNCA, ILAWU secretary-general Siphamandla Masemola said the unions believes that the workers have been the “pillar” of the healthcare system in the province.

“They still remain outside of the system [and] they still not recognised permanently. There’s always been this constant renewal of contracts which doesn’t take us anywhere [and] in retrospect as you would understand that the EPWP workers are the pillar of the department.

“If you go to the clinic or a hospital, you will find that for instance someone who is going to marshall you from the queue or someone who checks your details and open a card for you or a cleaner is an EPWP worker,” he said.

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Masemola said the union was calling on Lesufi to intervene and address their demands within seven days.

“We wanted the premier to say directly and specifically which date are we going to permanently absorbed. We are saying we are sick and tired of the renewal of contracts constantly.

“Each and every year, we must go to the department and the premier’s office to request for the renewal of contracts. It doesn’t take us anywhere.”

Downward spiral

Masemola also pointed out that there was a massive shortage of nurses and health-care workers.

“They are not given what they deserve that’s why we find ourselves in a situation that if you don’t take look after your employees then they will not look after the patients.

“That’s why service delivery is going to collapse in the clinics and as a result the public healthcare system in this country will continue to deteriorate to a downward spiral,” he added.

Haitu general secretary Lerato Mthunzi said the provincial department has failed the workers “dismally”.

“We have seen nurses in particular being [hired] as contract workers and they have got no benefits, they have got nothing. [This is] a serious gross violation of labour rights of our workers. We are not safe as health workers even our patients are not safe,” she said on Monday.

Monday’s demonstrations came three weeks after a National Education, Health, and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) went on a strike demanding for a 10% wage increase as the government stood firm on 3%.

At least four people died due to the unruly nationwide protest action marred by violence, intimidation and arrests that affected hospitals, clinics and schools.

The strike was suspended on 15 March, after Nehawu reached a settlement agreement with the government.

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