Following a National Health Laboratories Services (NHLS) strike which assisted the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in compelling the employer to accede to the demands of the union on a number of issues, the union has taken a decision to suspend its national strike pending the finalisation of the settlement agreement.
The decision was taken following the conclusion of extensive consultation with members on the revised offer tabled by the management of NHLS on Friday.
Members of Nehawu picketed at the entrance to the Polokwane Provincial Hospital since last week following deadlocked negotiations between the union and the NHLS.
A press statement issued by Nehawu General Secretary Zola Saphetha on Monday stated that the strike came as a result of deadlocked negotiations and the union subsequently issued the employer with a seven day strike notice. On Friday an offer was put on the table for consideration by organised labour. The revised offer entails the following:
Annual salary increase
The revised offer from the employer is a 7,3% annual salary increase effective from 1 April for employees of grade A-D1. The grade A-C increase shall be on basic salary while the D1 will be on Total Cost to Company package.
Proficiency
Parties acknowledge previously signed agreements regarding insourcing and proficiency assessment appraisal for the purposes of placement of staff. The employer is therefore offering proficiency assessment-evaluation for eligible technicians, technologists and scientists at A-D1 during the 2017/2018 financial year; progression placement for employees at A-D1 within the general and management pay scale; insourcing of gardening, cleaning and security shall be implemented in phases; benefits such as a 13th cheque, R1 500 living allowance, medical aid, annual salary increase of inflation plus 1% and a new pay scale for insourced services to remain for the next five years shall be extended.
Leave
Three days paternity leave will be given per annum independent of family responsibility leave effective August 2017. Shop stewards’ leave will be increased to ten days per annum effective August 2017, as per recognition agreement, which will be pooled.
Full time shop stewards
The employer is willing to negotiate the additional number of full time shop stewards and benchmark the formula with other sectors. This will be dealt with in bilateral discussions between the concerned parties, immediately after signing the agreement.
Rural allowance criteria
Rural allowance criteria will be reviewed to include or remove places which may have been inconsistently included and/or excluded, to bring about fairness to the application.
Medical aid subsidy
The employer medical aid subsidy of employees on A-C bands to be increased from 74,6% to 75% backdated to 1 April 2017, without any change to the current medical aid cap of R2 513,50 per month.
Story & photo: RC Myburgh
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