WORKING CONDITIONS
Health ministry in ‘duplicity over safety of building’
Employees stationed in Civitas offices are refusing to go to work, saying they fear for their lives
While the health department is fighting trade unions in court over the safety of its Civitas offices that house its headquarters in Pretoria, its officials admitted to the worrying state of the building months ago. In documents seen by Business Day and submitted as part of the Public Servants Association’s (PSA’s) case to the labour court, senior managers of the department concurred with workers that the state of the infamous building was harmful. Employees stationed in the building are refusing to go to work, saying they fear for their lives due to respiratory ailments, among others.
The department said it wanted to take disciplinary action against the workers as it saw their action as an illegal strike. Several investigations conducted into the health and safety of the building have also concluded against the department. In a reply to a memo containing workers’ complaints in February, the deputy director-general responsible for human resources in the health sector, Dr Gail A...
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