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The National Union of Education, Health and Allied Workers (Nehawu) and others will march to union buildings and other government offices on Thursday (September 3) as part of its ‘commitment’ to defend and protect its members and workers against Covid-19.
The national day of action will take the form of demonstrations that will address the Presidency in the Union Buildings, the National Parliament and the nine offices of the Prime Ministers in the provinces. “Preparations are at an advanced stage and we want to confirm our preparedness for the success of the program,” the union said as part of a joint statement on Monday (Aug 31).
“The coronavirus outbreak has spawned a new generation of bidders called Covidpreneurs who have seized the opportunity to loot state resources aimed at purchasing PPE (personal protective equipment) for front-line workers. Workers are losing their lives on a daily basis due to substandard PPE exposing them to the virus, ”Nehawu said.
Collective unions want the government to centralize the purchase of PPE to root out corruption. This comes after several government officials were implicated in alleged corruption in deals related to Covid-19, most notably the Gauteng Health Department, the eldest children of ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule, and Khusela Diko’s husband. , spokesman for President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The national day of action also aims to “stop the killing of workers at the hands of reckless and intransigent employers.”
“Health and safety challenges have always been there, yet they have been exacerbated by the virus outbreak. Workers are still being paid peanuts and they are not rewarded either, as they are overworked due to understaffing, ”Nehawu and his partners said.
Nehawu’s membership base exceeds 240,000, making it the largest public sector union in the country.
Additional parties scheduled to participate on Thursday include:
- Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU);
- South African Communist Party (SACP);
- South African Student Congress (SASCO);
- Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA);
- South African Student Union (SAUS); and
- South African Students Congress (COSAS).
The collective will give the government five days to respond to their demands. The salary increase is one of the key issues. “We call on the government to implement a risk subsidy for frontline workers for the hard work and sacrifice of their lives and families during this fight against this invisible enemy,” the statement read. This includes honoring salary adjustments.
The issue of government pay increases is also likely to take center stage in the coming months as restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic are eased.
Public salaries are established through negotiation with the unions and the agreements are valid for three years. The current agreement is in effect until March 2021.
However, in February, the government asked to review the last tranche of a three-year payment agreement because it said it could not pay it.
The coronavirus pandemic has further exacerbated the country’s financial woes with the unions and the government is now ready for a showdown.
The National Treasury plans to cut R160 billion from the public sector wage bill over the next three years, a position that has faced opposition from public sector unions.
In the run-up to Thursday’s march, the parties will celebrate a National Day of Prayer on Tuesday (September 1) at various hospitals across the country.
Read: Another big strike planned for South Africa
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