Rescue staff back at work
Striking Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) paramedics are back at work following strike action last week.
Patients in the Amajuba, Ilembe and Umzinyathi districts were left stranded on Tuesday and Wednesday when hundreds of disgruntled paramedics marched.
The paramedics were protesting against the department of health’s decision to change their contract working hours, increasing them from 160 to 173 hours a month, allegedly without any policy consideration or collective agreement.
At an arbitration hearing at the Ilembe District offices in Stanger on Tuesday paramedics demanded that their “normal” working hours be re-instated and said the department was exploiting them.
Several paramedics who had been dismissed also took part in the protest action, demanding their jobs back.
A paramedic who wished to remain anonymous said the department does not appreciate their hard work.
“Unless you physically do our job you cannot understand how gruelling it is. I love what I do but situations like this discourage me. I just want to be treated fairly.”
The hearing recommended the department of health get clarity from the department of public service and administration on individual complaints and give feedback within 15 days.
Health department spokesperson Samuel Mkhwanazi said he would need time to form a response and asked for a written enquiry to be submitted.
