Trade union, Nehawu has announced that workers at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) will embark on a nationwide strike from Wednesday.
The union has highlighted worker’s issues at the agency, including problems caused by flaws in the bio-metric system.
Nehawu’s demands include the suspension of the biometric enrollments of grant beneficiaries and for job evaluations to be undertaken.
The union’s General Secretary, Zola Saphetha addressed the media in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
He says the biometric identity access and management for staff as initially presented to workers by management has resulted in unhappiness and anxiety among workers because the biometric enrollments of beneficiaries is a new function that workers were not consulted on and the employer implemented unilaterally.
He says: “The system has numerous flaws which is at the detriment of beneficiaries who rely on social grants. We have raised concerns about the biometric system and have continuously warned SASSA about the huge impact it would have on the 17 million beneficiaries.”
