Nehawu has instructed all its members in the essential services to return to work with immediate effect as it vowed to intensify its public service strike.Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi told Sowetan last night that the message has been sent to its members on Monday night.
“We have communicated with our members that we are going to abide by the labour court judgment, and we have explicitly told our members that they should also comply with the judgment.”
Nkolonzi said the court interdict against the strike related only to the essential services workers. “Our members who work in administration for other government departments will continue with the strike as this is a public service strike, especially for those who have not been interdicted.
“We are going to intensify the strike and focus oin getting more and more of our members withdraw their labour,” he said.
Health ministry spokesperson Foster Mohale said steps would be taken against essential services workers who do not pitch for work as of Tuesday.
“Any essential worker falling under essential service failing to report for duty after the labour court judgment, that will constitute misconduct...
“Managers will ensure those who come to [work] sign [a] register to ensure those who decide not to come should be subjected the penalty through no-work no-pay rule, which will be implemented without delays,” said Mohale.
Meanwhile, the army has been deployed to the hospitals severely affected by the strike. Sowetan spotted soldiers on duty at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus, East Rand, where ich was hard hit by the Nehawu strike, because several units were had shut down by the strike last week.
Patients could be seen standing in long queues, waiting to collect medication at the pharmacy unit and pregnant women sitting outside the antenatal care clinic.
At the main entrance of the hospital, Nehawu members clad in red and white union colours sang songs and called for better salaries, with police using cones to form a barricade for the striking workers.
About six armed soldiers were stationed outside the facility together with law enforcement agencies. Our team witnessed only two soldiers inside the building.
Health minister Joe Phaahla visited the facility to assess the provision of essential healthcare services. Last week, the hospital was not able to render full services from Wednesday to Friday. CEO Dr Michael Malaka said the facility was severely affected last week.
While patients were moving into the hospital with ease, an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity said there were no nurses at the casualty department and not more than three nurses present in a ward.
Mohale said the soldiers were also deployed at Sebokeng Hospital in the Vaal and at the Klerksdorp Hospital, in North West.
“We did a security assessment and realised that the police are struggling to enforce law and order during the strike.
“Police had their hands full and the situation was getting out of control. We decided to bring in the army to complement the police,” said Mohale.
Mohale said the army was deployed at these hospitals to provide medical and security services.
The army will be deployed at these hospitals “until the situation is stabilised”.
“We will continue to monitor the protests and should the need arise we will deploy soldiers at affected hospitals,” said Mohale. – additional reporting Shonisani Tshikalange
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