The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) says the Gauteng Department of Health has not been willing to engage the union on a number of matters affecting nurses in the province which has resulted in a march to the Premiers office by hundreds of nurses.
They handed over a memorandum of demand regarding salaries, safety, and budget allocations among other things.
Acting Gauteng Secretary of Denosa Bongani Mazibuko says the non-payment of nurses in the province who have worked tirelessly serving patients is unacceptable.
“For the past three months, our com-serve nurses have not been paid. Some were paid after we raised these issues in the media. Some say they can’t access their building – those people are without salaries for the fourth month now which is unacceptable. There are conditions of service that we are not happy with, issues of safety, and shortage of staff. The issue of retrenchment of nurses – they should be employed because we have a dire shortage of nurses in the province.”
Non-payment of full salaries
Community Service nurses from various health facilities in Gauteng say they have struggled to feed their families, pay rent and send their children to school as a result of non-payment of their full salaries for the past three months.
Denosa is also demanding the immediate removal of the Chief Financial Officer at Gauteng Health.
Gauteng Health HOD Nomonde Nolutshungu received the memorandum of demands, from Denosa on behalf of Health MEC Dr. Nomathemba Mokgethi.
Nolutshungu says, “I would like to thank the nursing fraternity for all the work they continue to do in the province. This is the government that is most grateful for all that work. We commit to work together with you as we have continued to do.”
Story by: Prabashini Naicker
@DENOSAORG march to the Gauteng @HealthZA over non-payment of full salaries for nurses in the province #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/9373E5nWbW
— Prabashini Naicker (@bashini_naicker) July 20, 2022
The DENOSA Gauteng march moving along in downtown JHB on its way to GP Premier, which it should be arriving at shortly…
The Premier wi accept the first memo from the nurses over terrible working conditions in clinics and hospitals… pic.twitter.com/YUJTNvONgc
— DENOSA (@DENOSAORG) July 20, 2022
DENOSA National Office Bearers, Deputy General Secretary, Khaya Sodidi, and DENOSA President, Simon Hlungwani, have joined the DENOSA GP march in JHB…@_cosatu @eNCA pic.twitter.com/tLE4WIHxIj
— DENOSA (@DENOSAORG) July 20, 2022
DENOSA members gathering outside COSATU House. From here, they will move to the Premier of Gauteng where they will hand over the memorandum of demands over the terrible working conditions in Gauteng facilities…#WeAreDenosa@SABCNews pic.twitter.com/nx1Bq0EpB7
— DENOSA (@DENOSAORG) July 20, 2022
