Cape Town - A nationwide strike by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) will be entering its fifth day today, with the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) giving notice that it too will be striking.
Since the start of the week, Nehawu members have attempted to prevent health workers from reporting for duty, stating that they should be downing tools in response to the Department of Public Service and Administration’s (DPSA’s) 3% salary increase offer.
Nehawu provincial secretary Baxolise Mali said members were also present at Home Affairs in the CBD and Khayelitsha, New Somerset Hospital, and the Department of Labour regional office.
“We are not sure what people mean when they say health care was targeted, but as we have said, workers embarked on actions in areas where they stand to benefit if their demands are met,” Mali said.
Health and Wellness Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said incidents in the Western Cape had mainly been isolated to Khayelitsha, resulting in the disruption of services.
“Due to strikes at Michael Mapongwana Clinic and Khayelitsha District Hospital, critical patients were transferred to facilities such as Helderberg, Tygerberg, Mitchells Plain and Karl Bremer hospitals.”
Van der Heever said peaceful protests also took place at Karl Bremer and Tygerberg hospitals. On Wednesday, gates were temporarily closed at Karl Bremer Hospital, but services were not interrupted.
“On Thursday morning, services resumed with no patient diversions in place, although protesters were still outside Khayelitsha District Hospital and Michael Mapongwana Clinic.”
The provincial Health Department as well as the Department of Social Development are preparing for an urgent application to interdict the strike. The Health Department condemned reports that three people had lost their lives at Khayelitsha Hospital as a direct result of the strike, referring to them as “reckless rumours”.
“As at all hospitals, there are critically sick patients who sometimes succumb due to their particular illness or injury. None of them are linked to the protest,” Van der Heever said.
The Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) called on parties involved to engage in a dispute resolution process and negotiations, and to refrain from resolving disputes in courts and “on the streets”.
The DPSA would not comment on the strike, saying they did not want to disturb the negotiation process that had started on Thursday, saying they did not want to disturb these processes.
Meanwhile, at the National Assembly plenary, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concern over the violent nature of the strike.
Ramaphosa said workers had a right to strike but that this was not absolute, stating that essential workers such as the police and health-care workers whose absence puts lives at risk should not be on strike.
“The protests that are under way, yes are well understood, they can express their dissatisfaction, but even as they do so, staying away from work, they must also know that it is on the basis of no work, no pay. So if you don't go to work, you will not get paid and if you protest, you must protest very peacefully,” Ramaphosa said.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said as at 8am on Thursday, there was no record of arrests related to the strike and that all action linked to the strike remained peaceful.
Police were also monitoring a protest outside the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, yesterday (Thurs) morning.
Nupsaw issued a strike notice to DPSA on Wednesday, which will commence on March 17, which it said followed the deadlock in the 2022/2023 salary negotiations at the PSCBC.
Mali said demands made in the 2022/2023 bargaining cycle included a 10% salary increase, filling vacant posts, absorption of community health workers, an end to outsourcing, and a R2 500 housing allowance.
At the start of the week, Nupsaw said it would be taking part in the national shutdown on March 20, joining the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the EFF.