Management of the West Rand District Health Services (WRDHS) have acknowledged demands made by Expanded Public Work Programme (EPWP) workers who embarked on a strike outside Randgate Clinic on Friday October 15.

WRDHS communication officer Nomagugi Hloma said EPWP workers who are employed on a fixed-term contract were demanding to be hired permanently by the clinic; however, the department said EPWP is a national programme and the matter is beyond their jurisdiction to resolve.

The Department of Health is aware of the grievance logged by EPWP workers. They are mainly demanding to be absorbed as permanent workers,” Hloma said.

Some of the strikers who wished to remain anonymous said they had been issued with Personal and Salary System (Persal) numbers, which would normally indicate that they were hired permanently at the clinic; however, Hloma said, “EPWP workers were appointed on what is termed a ‘parallel Persal system’, which does not guarantee permanent employment. This process was used only to facilitate timeous payment of their stipends.”

Strikers told the Herald that they’ve suffered ill-treatment at the hands of the clinic management, to which Hloma responded, “The Rand West sub-district and the West Rand District Health Services have not received any formal complaint about bad treatment of EPWP employees. If they exist, the aggrieved are advised to follow due HR processes.”

Hloma said this matter is currently affecting EPWP workers across the Gauteng province.