Community health workers demand a salary increase
Frustrated Community Health Workers (CHW), under the banner of the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW), protested outside the provincial legislature government complex on Friday October 29, demanding wage increment with full benefits and recognition as public servants.
According to their memorandum, the union wanted to be placed on salary level two with full benefits as an interim measure as it is done in other provinces, such as Gauteng.
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“For a period of so many years, we have relentlessly fought for the absorption of these vulnerable workers into the Department of Health and to be recognised as public servants. They are rendering services to our communities as enshrined in our constitution. However, this government has continued disregarding the importance of CHW. We have seen a high rise of corruption during the pandemic with PPE scandals, but the department is crying poverty when it has to fulfil its obligation to permanently employ CHW,” said the NUPSAW provincial organiser, Mduduzi Lubisi, as he read part of their memorandum.
The health department was given seven working days to fulfil the union’s demands. Questions were sent to the department, but at the time of going to press, Lowvelder Express had not received any answers.
