Durban - The South African Public Service Union, which is leading strikes at public hospitals in Durban this week, has vowed to carry on with its protest, demanding that temporary workers at government institutions be given permanent jobs.
Workers at Mahatma Gandhi, King Dinizulu and King Edward hospitals went on strike on Thursday.
At a press briefing on Thursday, the interim secretary-general of the union, Moses Tsotetsi, said the Amendments to Section 198 of the Labour Relations Act, which dealt with temporary workers, said workers whose jobs were not time-based, and have been working for more than three months, should be made permanent staff members. He said the protests were about fighting for the law to be enforced.
Tsotetsi said because it was a law that was officially signed in, there was no need for a bargaining council. He said the union was just ensuring that government enforced the law.
“Workers are not willing to back down, as they are tired,” he said.
Workers had been struggling for years and many people who had worked under these terms were young people under 40 years of age, Tsotetsi said.
He said they had been fighting for security guards and cleaners to be hired and to receive a salary of between R5 000 to R6 000 plus benefits. This would increase to the level of government employees after 18 months.
He said the issue was not only for hospitals, but for other departments in the government as well.
When asked if they had considered the impact this could have on services in government departments, Tsotetsi said it was not their intention for this to have a negative impact on services, but they had to fight for the rights of their workers.
Tsotetsi said they were wiling to go to court if necessary, and were in consultation with their lawyers.
Tsotetsi said they would have a legal opinion in the next two weeks.
The union marched to city hall on Thursday to hand over a memorandum to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu.
The march was led by Zwelinzima Vavi, as part of marking June 16.
The Daily News sent questions to the department of health, but they had not responded by deadline.
Daily News