/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU) has noted the media reports about plans by National Treasury to cut public spending. According reports, treasury, said it had outlined measures to intensify austerity measures, and cut public spending even further, because of the poor performance of the economy. As HAITU we condemn Treasury for such a decision because the current austerity measures are responsible for the shocking state of healthcare services in the country. Our hospitals are collapsing because money which should be spent on infrastructure as well as filling outstanding vacancies, has been drastically slashed.

As a result patients are suffering, some of them die prematurely and unnecessarily because our health care system is collapsing. Staff shortages and the states refusal to fill these vacancies were among the demands we made when HAITU marched to Tshilidzini Hospital in Limpopo, to protest against unsafe working conditions and the implementation of Duty Rosters that are prejudicial to employees especially nurses. There is a general abuse of power by both the hospital management and the Department of Labour in Limpopo. 

At least 900 health workers represented by various trade unions including Denosa, NUPSAW, Hospersa, Nehawu, PSA, SAEPU, and SAMATU marched on 1 September to demand that the department must urgently fill all outstanding vacancies. The Limpopo health department is notorious for poor service delivery. Burnt-out, overworked staff are struggling to give quality care, because the hospital is so poorly understaffed. The department tried to rectify this by changing the shifts, and they did so without consulting organised labour.

These changes have resulted in longer working hours and fewer off days. Our members are struggling to cope with these changes. Whilst we understand that the hospital has the right to formulate operational plans to maximize service delivery, the stakeholders have to be consulted because they are going to be affected, and in this instance, organized labour was not consulted. 

What is made worse is that workers have to deal with an unsympathetic health department, run by MEC, Dr. Phophi Ramathuba who enjoys publicly humiliating workers on social media. Workers operate in an atmosphere where they are constantly threatened with dismissal and this leads to low morale and contributes to poor productivity. Our members will not tolerate being scape-goated and blamed by the department for the crisis they have created. This government implemented austerity measures and they have cut back on spending and also on budgeting to fill outstanding vacancies. That decision has the direct impact of drastically reducing service delivery.

What this government is doing can be compared to sending firefighters to the scene of a fire, with no water, because water is expensive, and still expecting them to put out the fire. Of course such a strategy is bound to fail, and it is exactly the same in this situation. The service is rendered useless. The budget cuts are having the same effect and making it impossible to deliver good service. They are naïve enough to think that quality service is possible, with poorly staffed, and under-resourced hospitals. They do not care because they are immune from the horror of having to depend on public healthcare facilities.

Their generous salary packets and benefits, which are provided for by tax money paid by workers, guarantees that they have access to private healthcare whenever they need it. They will never have to suffer the way that ordinary people suffer in this country every day when they have to use public healthcare facilities. It is HAITU’s view that if MP’s were forced to use public hospitals, we would see a rapid improvement in the quality of service. 

Among the demands we made to the Limpopo Health department is the following:

1.     The old shift system must be implemented for now, and in the meantime, we can begin the process of properly consulting on these shift system. We are calling for a special chamber meeting with the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC) to pave the way for proper consultation. 

2.     We also demand that the implementation of the new shift system be put on hold until proper consultation with relevant stakeholders has been concluded. 

3.     All acting and contract posts must be filled and the employer must hire more staff. 

4.     The ‘night duty overtime’ must be reinstated and workers must be paid their overtime, and that there must be back pay. 

The Limpopo health department said it would respond to the demands we have made by the 8th of September. 

Austerity is the poison which is killing our people and we demand that Treasury must stop administering this poison! They are suffocating the working class and we cannot take any more! 

Issued by HAITU General Secretary Lerato Mthunzi