Community workers strike over non-payment
Community Health Workers (CHWs) working with NGOs in Kwatsaduza downed tools last week.
Their grievances are with the Gauteng Department of Health for failing to pay them their stipends.
The strike included home-based care workers, who deliver medication and take care of old people and terminally ill patients who cannot go to the clinics, as well as HIV/Aids counselors based in community clinics.
An estimated 15 NGOs from KwaTsaduza were affected by the strike with the Nigel Caring Community and New Image Rover Crew in KwaThema confirming that some of their workers were part of the three-day strike.
These organisations said all their community health care workers had returned to work by Monday and that all operations are back to normal.
In a statement, the department of health said it had released payments to more than 8 500 CHWs from Gauteng since February 6.
Some of the payments date back to October last year.
Spokesperson Simon Zwane said some of these problems are caused by CHWs who ‘have not submitted things like correct banking details’. He said the department was dealing with the problem at district level.
This payment process is a result of a decision taken late last year, ‘it was stated that the department would pay CHWs directly’ in an effort to deal with challenges they face.
