The National Heatlh and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) has warned people to stay away from state run hospitals and clinics as striking public servants embarked on a total shutdown of services. This comes as they rejected government’s latest wage offer of seven percent. Nehawu provincial secretary, Soroya Jawoodeen, staff at hospitals and clinics began picketing on Friday, despite all health workers being classified as ‘essential staff.’
“We have completely shutdown service delivery points. We spent most of yesterday mobilizing our members. Today, Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and GF Jooste hospitals are inaccessible to the public,” she told VOC News during an interview on Breakfast Beat.
When asked about emergency cases, she explained that shop stewards and marshals at the various picket lines will facilitate entry into the hospitals. “Chronic medication would be seen as an emergency. There is a ‘wall’ between the marshals and the police and this is not helping communication between our marshals and the public. We will keep an emergency lane open for trauma cases, ICU cases and maternity cases.”
Education
Meanwhile the Western Cape Education Department said its comprehensive three point contingency plan is in place to ensure that teaching still continues at school across the province. MEC for Education, Donald Grant, explained the plan is based on three main objectives: “to keep the learners safe and supervised, to ensure that teaching and learning continues as far as possible, and to manage the system so that it functions as effectively as possible despite the disruptions.”
“All our resources will be used to ensure that these objectives are met…to ensure that the rights of our learners are respected so that they can receive a quality basic education in these difficult times. The WCED has through its district offices, communicated with school management teams and governing body structures requirements for appropriate supervisory and safety arrangements,” he said.
Grant has urged parents and caregivers to send their children to school, until notified otherwise. “Yesterday there was isolated incidents of violence and intimidation throughout the province. These unlawful acts were effectively dealt with by Western Cape police. I wish to reiterate that we will use every available mechanism to ensure that the rights of children and teachers attending school are protected. Teachers who do not act responsibly face ‘serious consequences’ should they transgress the law.
Matric fears
Grant further explained that the Department had developed a number of curriculum support programmes, in an attempt to ensure that learning continues. “These programmes support all grades with a particular focus on our Grade 12’s who will begin writing the first practical examination of the National Senior Certificate Examinations in just 54 days time.”
“As part of the WCED’s ‘Own your future. Own your success. Study hard to pass YOUR matric’ campaign, the WCED initiated a number of tutorial programmes throughout the province during the second school term. The tutoring aims to increase the pass rate in high enrolment subjects with high failure rates and has garnered much support from the Grade 12 learners,” he said.
Grant urged Grade 12 learners to use their ‘Tips for Success’ booklet which will provide them with information on how to plan their revision programme and tips on how to study.
“We encourage our Grade 12 learners to use this booklet by ticking off what they know and how to identify areas where they feel they are weak and need improvement. Specific schools were also provided with extra past examination papers. We also ensured that all our Grade 12 learners received the necessary textbooks for major subject,” said Grant.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thousands march for better wage
DORIANNE ARENDSE
Some twenty thousand public servants took to the streets in Cape Town on Tuesday in protest of government’s revised offer of seven percent and a housing allowance of R630. Public servants are demanding an 8.6 percent wage increase and a R1,000 housing allowance. Various unions affiliated to trade union Cosatu as well as the Public Servants Association marched to Parliament to hand over a memorandum highlighting their demands.
Provincial Chairperson for Nehawu, James Kruger, told VOC News that they are also demanding the equalization of medical aid. “Level 1-3 workers who are the lowest paid government officials are given free medical aid. But that free medical only gives you access to a state hospital and we all know that state of our current healthcare system in the country. Those members that have the so called free medical aid actually don’t have access to health care. The subsidy from level 4 onwards is only a third of the medical aid”, said Kruger.
In addition he said the R1000 housing subsidy was not their initial demand. Kruger said that even that subsidy will not be able to cover their bond repayments. “A determination on your approval for a bond is made on your annual salary the majority of public servants cannot go to the bank for a bond. But we are saying for those who can at least a R1000 subsidy will do”, said Kruger.
He said the 8.6 percent wage increase which the public servants are asking for amounts to about R80 for the lowest paid worker.
“The level 1 worker gets about R40 000 – R50 000 a year. If you take an 8 percent increase on that it is not even R80, so it does not represent much increase for the ordinary worker. That is why we have always fought for a sliding scale increase. They have to improve the salaries on the lower level. The disparity between a level 1 salary and that of a head of department’s salary is too great”, said Kruger.
Some twenty thousand public servants took to the streets in Cape Town on Tuesday in protest of government’s revised offer of seven percent and a housing allowance of R630. Public servants are demanding an 8.6 percent wage increase and a R1,000 housing allowance. Various unions affiliated to trade union Cosatu as well as the Public Servants Association marched to Parliament to hand over a memorandum highlighting their demands.
Provincial Chairperson for Nehawu, James Kruger, told VOC News that they are also demanding the equalization of medical aid. “Level 1-3 workers who are the lowest paid government officials are given free medical aid. But that free medical only gives you access to a state hospital and we all know that state of our current healthcare system in the country. Those members that have the so called free medical aid actually don’t have access to health care. The subsidy from level 4 onwards is only a third of the medical aid”, said Kruger.
In addition he said the R1000 housing subsidy was not their initial demand. Kruger said that even that subsidy will not be able to cover their bond repayments. “A determination on your approval for a bond is made on your annual salary the majority of public servants cannot go to the bank for a bond. But we are saying for those who can at least a R1000 subsidy will do”, said Kruger.
He said the 8.6 percent wage increase which the public servants are asking for amounts to about R80 for the lowest paid worker.
“The level 1 worker gets about R40 000 – R50 000 a year. If you take an 8 percent increase on that it is not even R80, so it does not represent much increase for the ordinary worker. That is why we have always fought for a sliding scale increase. They have to improve the salaries on the lower level. The disparity between a level 1 salary and that of a head of department’s salary is too great”, said Kruger.
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