Gauteng-based healthcare workers belonging to the Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU) and the Independent Liberation and Allied Workers Union (ILAWU) have vowed to continue protesting and unleashing misery on the Gauteng provincial government if it fails to re-hire more than 8000 contract workers who lost their jobs this month.
The two trade unions say they have met with Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi this week in a bid to find an amicable solution to the plight of their members.
This week, hundreds of these workers demonstrated and protested in the city centre, demanding their re-instatement. Last month, the members of the two trade unions converged at Library Gardens in the Joburg CBD ahead of March to offices of Health MEC and Premier Lesufi to demand the permanent employment of EPWP and Agency Nurses.
HAITU spokesperson Lerato Mthunzi said the two unions were fighting for the rights of contract workers who are abused and exploited by the Gauteng Department of Health.
“Over eight thousand people have been dismissed since the 1st of April from various posts, including agency nurses, pharmacy staff, cleaners, porters, security workers, and more have had their contracts terminated. On top of that, thousands of Expanded Public Works workers continue to be exploited by the department.
“All of these jobs are crucial for quality service delivery in our communities and also in our hospitals. It is an embarrassment for this administration, under the new leadership of Panyaza Lesufi, that so many people are suddenly jobless. It means the promises he made for job creation initiatives at the State Of the Province Address (SOPA) were nothing more than lies,” Mthunzi said.
She said the Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, as well as the MEC of Health, Ms Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko and other senior officials, attended the meetings.
“Both unions were able to adequately ventilate the core issues affecting workers, as tabled in the memorandum. We gave the premier the go-ahead to engage any stakeholder with interest on this matter despite how toothless they have been in advocating for workers,” Mthunzi added.
Among the demands that have been made by the unions since the start of a series protests and marches to the Gauteng provincial offices include permanent employment of all contract workers, permanent employment of all agency workers whose contracts the Gauteng Department of Health abruptly and without notice ended in February 2023.
Other demands include the absorption of Expanded Public Works Programme workers (EPWP), immediate compliance and enforcement of the circular instructing all health facilities to absorb community service Nurses and Interns without fail, amongst others.
Mthunzi said the meeting with the Premier was fruitful and hopes that he will adhere to some of the promises he made to the two unions.
“If Panyaza fails to uphold the promises that he has made to us, then we will unleash misery on the Gauteng Provincial government until they are compelled to follow the law and to uphold the promises they make to black people at every election. There will be no peace because workers will march permanently until all the demands are met,” Mthunzi added.
Attempts to speak to the provincial government proved unsuccessful at the time of publishing.