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KZN NEHAWU, public servants unions demand 10 to 12% salary increase

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The functioning of several hospitals and other state facilities has been disrupted following a public servants’ wage strike in KwaZulu-Natal. This is part of the nationwide strike which has entered its second day despite the government obtaining an interdict against the planned action.

NEHAWU and several other public servants unions are demanding a 10 to 12% salary increase but the Department of Public Service and Administration has proposed a salary increase of 4.7%.

NEHAWU’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Ayanda Zulu says, “Here in KZN more than 80 hospitals have been completely shut down, there is no operation. The members of NEHAWU in their numbers are outside. I’m outside Greys Hospital; more than 2 000 workers are outside. Most head offices from education, health, human settlement, social development, COGTA water and sanitation as well as Home Affairs are completely closed. The message is clear, workers will go back to work when their demands are heard.”

Meanwhile, the Public Servant Association’s Mlungisi Ndlovu says while they support the strike action, he is calling on Heads of Department not to take any action against its members who have been prevented from entering their workplaces by protesting strikers.

“We have received news from different parts of KZN that our members are unable to enter certain workplaces, we call on the Director-General to protect our members. There should be no employer that takes action against our members who are unable to report for duty due to blockage in different parts of KZN,” says Ndlovu.

 

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