Evicted health office squatters claim they are owed jobs

Even though they have been kicked out of the Department of Health’s offices in the Pretoria CBD after squatting there for two weeks, a group of unemployed protesters are adamant that the department still owes them jobs.

The department, however, considers the matter closed.

“The department still owes 177 community home workers work after undertaking an absorption process in 2020,” said Gedrude Sebopa.

Sebopa represents a group of about 200 former health department employees who refused to leave the Fedsure Forum Building for almost two weeks with some of them camping out in the foyer.

The group were evicted on Saturday after the Pretoria High Court granted an interdict against them.

“We demand that the department give us our jobs back.”

Sebopa said since May 2016, they were part of 9 100 contracted workers serving under the health department who went on strike.

This led to the department absorbing 8 619 members for permanent positions.

“The workers who went on strike are now under the Department of Health in Gauteng. When the strike was resolved, an agreement was reached, those who went on strike were promised they would be reinstated in batches.”

He said an agreement was reached when the striking workers had won a case to be reinstated at the House of Movement Building, Johannesburg.

In the arbitration, Commissioner James Matshekga awarded the uncontracted healthcare workers to be employed by the Gauteng health department for an indefinite duration in terms of the Labour Relations Act.

He said the last batch of 579 applicants in the matter saw a few of the workers absorbed in 2018 December.

Sebopa said over 100 former contracted workers, however, remained to await for their absorption process to commence.

“This is the most difficult situation ever experienced in my entire life as I am not able to support my family.

“I was the only person who could make ends meet to provide food for when we go to bed. Now it pains me knowing individuals are holding it away from me.

“We are not working, we are not coping at all. We are breadwinners and now we cannot afford to take our children to school.”

He said they demanded the health department do the right thing by absorbing them.

Gauteng health spokesperson Philani Mhlungu said since the absorption process, they had been receiving requests for employment from people claiming to have been community health workers.

Mhlungu said the process to absorb the workers was concluded in July 2020.

He said the matter was closed and would not comment further regarding the absorption processes.

In July, the protesters unlawfully occupied the district offices, affecting operations.

Staff had to report to work at other health facilities across the district.

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