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The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) is outraged by the continued lack of accountability and dismal deterioration of public healthcare institutions that has now resulted in the shocking revelations by the Department of Labour following non-compliance in terms of workplace health and safety amongst others. Results of inspections conducted in the public health care sector throughout the 9 provinces, presented gross levels of non – compliance and FEDUSA holds Minister Aaron Motsoaledi personally responsible for this damning state of affairs, said FEDUSA Deputy President, Masale Godfrey Selematsela.   

It is unacceptable that enabling and safe working conditions are not in place for our membership who are engaged in the majority of public hospitals across the country. Whilst their commitment to upholding and tending to our frail and incapacitated family members is unquestionable, the consequent results of inadequate and now absent health and safety standards ultimately places substantial risk to both themselves and their patients overall, argued Selematsela.  

Minister Motsoaledi, his MEC’s and Provincial Head of Departments (HOD’s) should be held accountable for the direct contravention of both domestic and international laws that South Africa is obligated to. It is shameful that the results of 407 inspections conducted in all nine provinces in the public health care sector in 2014/2015‚ showed that an overwhelming amount of 316 institutions did not comply. Article 3 of Convention 155 clearly outlines that “protecting the health and safety of ALL workers, wherever workers are required to perform duties”, whilst Article 19(f) stipulates that “the employer cannot require workers to return to a work situation where there is continuing imminent and serious danger to life or heath”. How do the respective MEC’s and the HOD’s expect our affiliated union members from the Health And Other Service Personnel Trade Union Of South Africa (HOSPERSA) to perform their duties when the worst performing provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Limpopo display shocking non – compliant rates of 18%‚ 9% and a shameful 0%, respectively? Consequently, our members are being perpetually exposed to direct health and safety hazards where severe shortages of protective equipment such as N5 masks and retractable syringes, used to treat infectious patients and prevent cross infection of TB as well as protect against needle prick injuries, are simply inaccessible. FEDUSA is therefore not surprised that reported cases of Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB infections by HOSPERSA members are sharply increasing in the Eastern Cape. It is seriously questionable whether the provision of primary health care under the auspices of the intended NHI will succeed under these prevailing circumstances, insisted Selematsela. To add insult to injury, evidence of rat – infested institutions are available, where these disease – carrying rodents will add further burden to the evident health and safety inefficiencies. We certainly have a very long way to go if we want to achieve our NDP 2030 Vision for Health, argued Selematsela. 

FEDUSA applauds the Department of Labour for effectively implementing its mandate to ensure inspection and compliance in all economically active sectors of the economy. The federation will be calling for an urgent engagement session with the Presidency to ensure that the necessary interventions are implemented to rectify and address the matter expeditiously. FEDUSA views the situation as a state of emergency and will not hesitate to continue the fight for safe and secure working conditions that will ensure decent work and decent life for all our members. Should FEDUSA fail to attract Government commitment to an urgent collaborative process to fix the problem, the federation may then reserve the right to report the transgressions to the International Labour Organisations (ILO) enforcement committee, in terms of Convention 155 on Occupational Health and Safety, concluded Selematsela.

Issued by FEDUSA