Hundreds of Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (Haitu) and the Independent Liberation & Allied Workers Union (Ilawu) members took to the streets on Monday protesting over permanent employment of healthcare workers in the province. Their protest comes three weeks after National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) seized labour in demand of 10% wage increase. 

DEMANDS 

The healthcare workers protested at the Department of Health office in Johannesburg where they handed over their memorandum before proceeding to Premier Panyaza Lesufi's office. The nurses were employed during the Covid-19 pandemic and have been working on short term contracts since. The unions wants the Gauteng department of health to absorb them on a permanent basis as their contracts comes to an end on Friday 31 March. They also demand that more nurses be employed as most public hospitals and clinics are understaffed. 

NOT BEING TAKEN SERIOUS 

Haitu president, Rich Sicina, accused the Health Department of ignorance. He said they have been trying to highlight and make noise that the public health care system is falling apart. "The fact that this was not the first protest action that was led by a health union should signal that the issues at public hospitals needed serious attention," he said. Sicina said as it is Human Rights Month, it is sad that government is continuously violating rights and the dignity of workers.

TEMPORARY CONTRACTS EXPLOITATION

He said workers are being exploited through temporary contracts, or through labour brokers for more than three months. "There is a massive shortage of nurses and health care workers which result in patients in public clinics and hospitals being turned away. This critical shortage of staff  has a direct impact on access to health care services which is a basic human right." He added that many nurses were given contractual employment during Covid-19 but as soon as things were back to normal they were" disposed like used syringes,". Sinci demanded that nurses who were at the forefront of Covid-19 be given permanent employment and absorbed into the system.

GAUTENG HEALTH RESPOND

In response to the march, Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba the department has allocated a R600 million budget which will be used to retail COVID-19-contracted healthcare workers. Motalane did nit say how many health workers will be retained.