Durban - THE National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) has brought the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to a standstill on Tuesday - an action that threatens the daily Covid-19 infection rate tally.
The union is demanding a better living wage for its members and other outstanding work-related issues that have not been resolved.
It comes as the NHLS and the service it provides the government is crucial in fighting the Covid-19 epidemic as thousands of Covid-19 tests are sent to its laborotaries for testing.
In addition, the NHLS is crucial for epidemiology, surveillance and outbreak response activities; the national antiretroviral roll-out programme through CD4+ viral load studies and HIV treatment monitoring; tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment monitoring; screening for cervical cancer and support occupational health services.
National chief negotiator for Nehawu in the NHLS Napo Nthunya said all the department’s 262 facilities countrywide were at a standstill.
In Durban, Inkosi Albert Luthuli laboratory is one of the many facilities that saw employees taking to the streets, and would remain there until their demands were met.
“We demand salary increases for our members and the employer needs to deal with the issue of salary discrepancies among our members. There are other issues of mutual concern that need to be addressed,” Nthunya said.
He said the nation wide planned strike action will see members picketing through to Thursday around the country.
At least two employees that spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity said the employer was not compliant with Covid-19 safety regulations, and that this exposed employees at risk of contracting the deadly virus.
“Safety measures are non-existent in certain facilities and we are left exposed to danger. We want the department to resolve this issue including the long outstanding salary increment. We don’t get paid risk allowance and bonuses. The salary increases were due on April 1 as per resolution 1 of 2018,” said the employees.
In a statement on its website, the NHLS said if the strike is not averted, South Africans will not know the number of COVID-19 infections in the country which could negatively affect the government’s efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic.
“The government will have limited or no information regarding where the relevant hotspots for Covid-19 are; private laboratories would not be able to report their Covid-19 infections as required by the relevant Disaster Management Regulations,” spokesperson, Mzi Gcukumana said.
“The NHLS, through its NICD division, will be unable to compile a guideline document to support surveillance, case finding, diagnosis, management and public health response to cases under investigation. In addition, many South Africans may not be able to get tested for COVID-19, which will have an impact on the epidemic.
The NHLS has put in place contingency measures to ensure service continuity. The NHLS has also engaged private and academic laboratories to assist with diagnostic testing. To this end, the NHLS has put together an essential test list which prioritises testing of the specimens.
The NHLS said that the Labour Court on Monday ruled that the strike action planned by NEHAWU was unlawful, not in compliance, and breach of the relevant provisions of the Labour Relations Act.
The service called the issues raised by the union as the reason for it taking to the street was “misleading”.
Daily News