Health care officials abandon posts to march for 2nd time

POLOKWANE – Health and social development officials left their posts to take to the city’s streets on Tuesday for the second time this year in protest of their working conditions.

The previous protest march took place on January 14 and involved health workers representing different health facilities in the Capricorn district. This latest march was by the same group, who were angry that they had still received no response to their memorandum of grievances, which had been handed to health MEC, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba. Tuesday was the deadline for her to respond, according to their memorandum.

Complaints listed in the memorandum included:

• The provision of drivers at the public health care mobile units.

• Full implementation of a circular that recognised nurses as non-drivers.

• Provision of uniforms for general cleaners.

• Overtime payments not made on time.

• Payment of personnel in acting posts.

Many irate officials also claimed they were refused the opportunity to take study leave.

Health and social development spokesperson, Adéle van der Linde said the department was investigating the matter. “Where we find that stations were left unattended this morning due to the march by healthcare workers, the no work, no pay principle will apply and disciplinary action will be considered,” she said.

She said the department had been ready to hand over a reply to the workers’ grievances. “We see these grievances as an internal labour matter.

We are, however, surprised and disappointed that the same group left their stations today to collect the reply. The practise is that the leadership of the group or persons given as reference on the memorandum, collect the document of reply or that the document be faxed, so as to ensure service delivery is not disrupted at our institutions,” Van der Linde said.