Durban - State paramedics are planning to embark on a provincial protest over issues including overtime pay and safety on the job.
Public Servants Association (PSA) manager, Claude Naiker, said efforts to get the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health to discuss the issues with them had failed to yield any results.
Grievances include:
* Payment of overtime hours.
* Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD), a gratuity payment in respect of employees’ qualifications and service.
* Safety of personnel.
The PSA would be meeting this weekend to discuss the protest, he said.
Phakama Ndumekazi, provincial secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), said they would not embark on a strike but they would engage the department on the issues.
In a statement released last night, spokesman for the KZN Department of Health, Sam Mkhwanazi, said that because of some staff not reporting for work on Tuesday, the department was emphasising that services offered by emergency services personnel were deemed essential, meaning they were not allowed to strike.
“If they do participate, it will constitute an act of misconduct and they will be subjected to disciplinary action, and the principle of ‘No Work, No Pay’ will apply.”
Mkhwanazi said: “In KwaZulu-Natal, the OSD for professional nurses, staff nurses and nursing assistants was implemented on July 1, 2007. This was followed by the implementation of OSD for medical officers, pharmacists and emergency medical services staff members on July 1, 2009,” he said.
“The financial implication is R14.9 million. Payments will be made in due course. The department would like to apologise to the employees for the delay.”
Daily News