Durban - PROVINCIAL leadership of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) are on Friday expected to meet senior management from the Department of Health. This was to discuss the firing of 14 employees at Magwaza Maphalala (Gale) Street Mortuary and the issuing of final written warnings on Tuesday.
It is alleged the workers were fired for embarking on an illegal go-slow or strike last week.
Nehawu provincial secretary Ayanda Zulu said they expected to discuss what led to the workers being dismissed.
“We also want to discuss ongoing issues which have been troubling workers such as the conditions, overtime owed and the movement of Gale Street Mortuary to Phoenix,” Zulu said.
He hoped to find an immediate solution because the mortuary was a critical service to the community.
Nehawu Gale Street Branch chairperson Mbhekeni Mhlongo said they decided to take the matter to the union’s provincial branch as they battled to resolve the matter on their own.
Earlier this week, the chairperson of the Health Portfolio Committee, Nomakiki Majola, confirmed the closure of the mortuary.
In October, the committee members had conducted oversight visits to health institutions, including
the mortuary.
The Department of Health, however, said they would only comment about the firing and issuing of final warnings to certain staffers from the mortuary later.
Spokesperson Noluthando Nkosi said: “We’ll give comment in due course as the matter still remains an employer-employee matter.”
Meanwhile, mortuary employees have continued going to work but have not been allowed inside the premises since last Friday.