Durban — Trade unions have raised concerns after KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane promised nurses that those who were on contract during the pandemic would be hired permanently.
Simelane made this promise when the nurses were being celebrated at Ngwelezane Hospital.
Simelane said there were approximately 7 000 nurses who still had to be put under the department.
She said Finance Minister Enoch Godogwana had confirmed that there was money to hire more nurses.
“During the Presidential Health Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed to providing funds to the health department because he saw the need that the budget must not be decreased.
“Therefore, I assure you that we will eventually include the remaining nurses that we have not included under the department,” she said.
Furthermore, Simelane said this is why they gave them another 12-month contract to work while they planned to gradually put them on the system.
The provincial manager of the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) Mlungisi Ndlovu, said they were appreciative of the department for hiring some of the nurses who were on contract during the pandemic.
However, he raised concerns that some of these nurses had not been made permanent staff members.
Ndlovu alleged that at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, some nurses given permanent posts had not been converted.
“The salaries of some of these nurses were delayed. This is a concern. If the department decided to hire 4 000 nurses permanently it must make sure that they are all converted and getting their benefits as permanent staff. Failing to do so creates instability,” said Ndlovu.
He said as a union they wanted the department to prioritise hiring the nurses permanently because those on contract were doing the work of a permanent worker.
The provincial secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), Ayanda Zulu, said the department was doing what they had been raising for years.
“When the initiative of employing 7 000 nurses through the Covid-19 programme took place we welcomed that,” he said.
Zulu said these nurses were a drop in the ocean compared with the pricing of the under-staffing that is facing the public health system.
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