Former Ekurhuleni health workers demand re-employment
Workers employed on contracts during the pandemic say most of their colleagues were given full-time jobs and they want the same
29 March 2023 - 12:13
byKimberley Mutandiro
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About 50 former community health workers who worked in Ekurhuleni protested outside the Gauteng health department’s Johannesburg office on Tuesday to demand they be re-employed.
The protesters say they represent 382 health workers employed on fixed-term contracts annually whose jobs were terminated by the City of Ekurhuleni in June 2022.
The workers say were paid R3,500 a month since late 2021, and some had started work in 2009. They went door-to-door, testing, counselling and creating awareness about HIV/Aids, TB and sexually transmitted diseases. They also referred patients to clinics or hospitals and did Covid-19 screening during the pandemic.
They say many community health workers were hired as permanent workers by the health department in 2020, though they were excluded.
Protester Ayanda Ntuli said they were “promised numerous times that we would not be left behind in the absorption process. Some of our members died of Covid because we worked even during level 5 of the lockdown. So they thanked us by sacking us. It is unfair.”
A representative of the health department received and signed the memorandum, which reads: “We humbly request the Gauteng health department to continue with the process of absorption that was stopped in 2020.”
Zandile Masilela, who said she had worked in the programme in KwaThema since 2009 said it was “painful to see other people working in our place while our families go hungry ... The department should have a heart and give us our jobs back”.
Motalatale Modiba, a spokesperson for the Gauteng department of health, said: “There are a group of people referred to as peer educators in Sedibeng District Municipality and community support programme officers in the City of Ekurhuleni who are responsible for HIV and Aids co-ordination in communities. These groups of people ... are demanding to be absorbed by the Gauteng department of health.
“It is important to highlight that the group of people are not community health workers appointed by the department but were in the employ of different municipalities in Gauteng.”
He said a thorough and consultative process had been concluded in July 2020 when the department absorbed 8,619 community health workers into permanent positions.
The workers will attend an arbitration hearing at the Benoni Bargaining Council on 3 April.
The City of Ekurhuleni wasn't immediately available for comment.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Former Ekurhuleni health workers demand re-employment
Workers employed on contracts during the pandemic say most of their colleagues were given full-time jobs and they want the same
About 50 former community health workers who worked in Ekurhuleni protested outside the Gauteng health department’s Johannesburg office on Tuesday to demand they be re-employed.
The protesters say they represent 382 health workers employed on fixed-term contracts annually whose jobs were terminated by the City of Ekurhuleni in June 2022.
The workers say were paid R3,500 a month since late 2021, and some had started work in 2009. They went door-to-door, testing, counselling and creating awareness about HIV/Aids, TB and sexually transmitted diseases. They also referred patients to clinics or hospitals and did Covid-19 screening during the pandemic.
They say many community health workers were hired as permanent workers by the health department in 2020, though they were excluded.
Protester Ayanda Ntuli said they were “promised numerous times that we would not be left behind in the absorption process. Some of our members died of Covid because we worked even during level 5 of the lockdown. So they thanked us by sacking us. It is unfair.”
A representative of the health department received and signed the memorandum, which reads: “We humbly request the Gauteng health department to continue with the process of absorption that was stopped in 2020.”
Zandile Masilela, who said she had worked in the programme in KwaThema since 2009 said it was “painful to see other people working in our place while our families go hungry ... The department should have a heart and give us our jobs back”.
Motalatale Modiba, a spokesperson for the Gauteng department of health, said: “There are a group of people referred to as peer educators in Sedibeng District Municipality and community support programme officers in the City of Ekurhuleni who are responsible for HIV and Aids co-ordination in communities. These groups of people ... are demanding to be absorbed by the Gauteng department of health.
“It is important to highlight that the group of people are not community health workers appointed by the department but were in the employ of different municipalities in Gauteng.”
He said a thorough and consultative process had been concluded in July 2020 when the department absorbed 8,619 community health workers into permanent positions.
The workers will attend an arbitration hearing at the Benoni Bargaining Council on 3 April.
The City of Ekurhuleni wasn't immediately available for comment.
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