Hospitals return to regular service as Nehawu continues strike in other sectors

Most hospitals across the country were operating normally on Tuesday as the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) appeared to have complied with the labour appeal court (LAC) order interdicting it and its members in essential service from continuing with the public sector strike at health centres. 

The strike, which began last Monday, has seen a number of health facilities unable to provide full services to patients after some workers faced intimidation.   

The Gauteng provincial health department said a preliminary report on Tuesday morning indicated that most of its facilities were operating as expected.

“The department has called on all its workers to return to work with immediate effect. We are monitoring the situation to ensure that services are fully restored. We will be implementing the “no work, no pay” principle, together with instituting disciplinary measures in cases where the court directive is not heeded,” said Gauteng MEC for health and wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.

In the Free State, health department spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said all seemed to be back to normal on Tuesday morning. “The department is keeping a careful eye on the situation in all health facilities in the province,” he said.

Mvambi said at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, the situation was calm. No striking workers were spotted and services were running well.  

“At Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein, the workers are back to work and the department is keeping an eye on the situation because of the knowledge we have about this facility being identified as the centre where striking workers and striking activities could heavily impact on the healthcare services of the province. This is a referral facility.” 

Mvambi said at Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in QwaQwa, the department received information that about 117 workers were still on strike in defiance of the court order.  

“The department is keeping an eye out to see if the situation normalises. Management is engaging with workers to ensure they return to work.” 

At Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad, Mvambi said strikers gathered at the gate in what seemed to be a plan to defy the order to return to work. “The department is keeping an eye on the situation. The services are being offered because we have health workers on their posts,” he said.

Nehawu said on Tuesday that it was intensifying its strike.

Spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi said union leadership met on Monday after the LAC order.  

“We must emphasis that we complied with the LAC judgment, which said we should communicate with our members as widely as possible. We communicated the verdict insofar as workers at essential services are concerned. Our members are called on to comply with that,” he said.

Nkolonzi said the interdict did not bar the union from continuing with the strike in the public service but was limited to workers in essential service and at the Special Investigating Unit, the SA Social Security Agency and the SA National Biodiversity Institute. 

“The rest of the other departments not covered by the interdict are continuing with the strike, including at home affairs and agriculture. Our leaders are addressing them today. We are intensifying the strike.” 

Nkolonzi also said the union was engaged in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council-facilitated process in an effort to resolve the dispute. 

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