The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers will be holding a Night-Virgil outside the offices of the Department of Health in Gauteng on Wednesday, 16 March 2022, to fight back against a violent onslaught on workers by the government and the captured judiciary.
The arrogance and utter lack of consideration by the Gauteng health department in dealing with contract workers, community healthcare workers (CHWs) and EPWP staff have necessitated this mass action.
The department, without even consulting unions, announced that it would be terminating contract workers, which includes doctors and nurses. This is despite the shortage of staff in health facilities.
The department has also chosen to conveniently turn deaf on the issue of insourcing security workers and cleaners, together with the demand for complete absorption of CHWs and EPWP staff.
This is part of a series of mass actions that will eventually lead to a complete shutdown of the health sector.
Meanwhile, the decision of the constitutional court to side with the government in reneging on honouring the last leg of the public sector wage agreement will not be left unattended.
We are still shocked and dismayed by the Concourt judgement on the implementation of the latter part of the 2018 collective wage agreement, which in our view, reflects a captured judiciary and a dishonest government.
While we may not be able to challenge the matter anymore through our courts, we will not take it lying down. We have summoned the constitutional court to come and receive a memorandum of our demands on Thursday, 17 March 2022 at 11:00.
We are aggrieved as a union not only with the adverse ruling which could set a dangerous precedent for unscrupulous employers but also with the undue delay in issuing the judgement. The matter was heard on 24 August 2021 and we are only receiving the written judgement on 28 February 2022.
Below is the list of some of our demands:
1. EMPLOYER’S FAILURE TO PAY LAST LAP OF SALARY AGREEMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANTS FOR THE PERIOD 2018 TO 2021.
2. GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR BEING SELECTIVE WHEN PAYING 2019 PMDS LEAVING THE MAJORITY OF THE STAFF MEMBERS UNPAID.
3. GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PRONOUNCE WHETHER 2020/21 PMDS WILL BE PAID OR NOT.
4. PAYMENT OF COVID-19 ALLOWANCE TO STAFF MEMBERS WHO CONTRACTED THE DISEASE.
5. IMPROVEMENTS OF UNBEARABLE WORKING THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OUR MEMBERS TO RENDER EFFECTIVE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
6. SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES HUMAN AND MATERIALS.
7. DEPARTMENT MUST ABSORB 800 COVID-19 CONTRACT DOCTORS AND NURSE’S. TERMINATION OF THEIR CONTRACT IS NOT A SOLUTION, OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE RUNNING SHORT OF STAFF.
8. ABSORPTION OF THE EWPS PERMANENTLY
9. ABSORPTION OF PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL WORKING AT OUR INSTITUTION, BECAUSE THESE COMPANY OWNERS ARE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY BUT PAYING SECURITY OFFICERS, PEANUTS.
10. DEPARTMENT UNILATERAL TERMINATION OF THE CHWS ONE YEAR HEALTH PROMOTION COURSE WITHOUT CONSULTATION.
We are appealing to our members to come out in large numbers for this mass campaign. We have no alternative means except to go to the street to register our grievances.
NUPSAW National, Provincial and all regional leaders will be there including SAFTU GENERAL SECRETARY ONE AND ONLY CDE ZWELINZIMA VAVI.
For media inquiries, contact General Secretary Solly Malema or media relations officer, Robinson Nqola on 078 935 2125.