By Hannah Omarjee | homarjee@radioislam.co.za
08:03:2023 | 13:30 PM CAT
2 min read

Photo Credit: The South African

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) declared a national strike regarding wage increases and negotiations. NEHAWU disagreed with the government’s proposed wage increase percentage and called for their members to strike on Monday, 6 March 2023, affecting all government institutions.

The Department of Health has expressed concern over violent and disruptive actions at health facilities by trade union members at some health facilities around the country. The department says NEHAWU impacted access to some facilities, mainly major hospitals. According to the country’s Constitution and Labour Relations Act, health workers cannot strike, as patients are left unattended, thus making the strike illegal. They are allowed to picket during their lunch breaks.

The Health Department spokesperson Doctor Tswale said, “The disruption in the reports that we received from some facilities, they were not able to do the change in the morning because workers came and blocked the entrances to the facilities. And so we had a situation where that medical personnel that were supposed to be relieved in the morning that rendered their services during the night, when they were supposed to leave couldn’t leave because those who were supposed to come in could not come in because they were blocked.”

Medical personnel felt it would be better to remain in the facility than to leave the patients unattended and disrupt the routine of health services.

Tswale said facilities were trying to ensure the disruption remained outside the gates. Private security and SAPS were called to ensure no property damage or threat to people’s lives.

South Africa faces a national problem where peaceful strikes quickly turn violent and volatile, proving that the way negotiations are carried out in the country needs to be revised.

Listen to the full interview here.