The Labour Appeal Court has issued an order interdicting essential service workers affiliated with the trade union National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) from continuing with the strike or any other form of industrial action.
The order which was delivered a short while ago also interdicts other agencies like SASSA, SIU and SANBI who were considering joining the strike, against doing so.
Nehawu members have been on strike since the sixth of this month to demand a 10% salary increase while the employer is offering 4.7%.
The court has further ordered Nehawu to inform its members of the order by means of publication through social media and email by no later than one o’clock this afternoon.
The Health Department has welcomed the court judgment.
Greys Hospital beefs up security
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, as the Nehawu strike enters its second week.
Police and private security companies are present at the hospital entrance.
Greys Hospital is a referral hospital with over 500 beds. Workers are demanding a 10% wage increase and better working conditions.
Nehawu secretary in the Harry Gwala region, Mazwi Ngubane, says they will continue the action until their demands are met.
Ngubane elaborates “We have been waiting for government to put our demand on the table but there is nothing on the table so we continuing the strike. We urge our communities to bear with us it’s not our intention. It is unfortunate that government has opted to use the services of a private security company of which they are spending a lot of money because there are two security companies that are deployed in almost all departments.”
