Nehawu set to protest during Covid-19 peak
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has threatened to bring the health sector to a standstill on August 21.
The union delivered the outcomes of its fact-finding mission on government’s state of readiness to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday.
Nehawu represents over 208 000 workers in the health sector, including cleaners, doctors, nurses, and other support staff.
The union’s Zola Saphetha says their members will apply for leave for the next day as a form of protest.
The protest will take place during what is expected to be the peak of the pandemic.
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"All our members in all provinces will flock to the provinces of the employer and apply for a day leave as a form of signalling or impatience with the unbearable conditions we are subjected to,” Saphetha said.
"As such we have established war rooms across the country to prepare for this. If they are not taken seriously and their lives put in the centre of what we do at the work then they can potentially withdraw their labour.”
He said unions cannot continue begging Health Minister Zweli Mkhize to improve working conditions at healthcare facilities.
"We've passed the stage of begging and asking government to listen to us.
"We are no longer going to be chasing to meet Zweli (Mkhize). If he wants to meet with us we are more than ready.
"We are no longer going to chase any minister. We can't be begging."