NEHAWU to go ahead with national hospital strike in September

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) says it’s on course to down tools at hospitals across the country next month.

The union has been complaining about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health workers since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic four months ago.

Last month, NEHAWU leaders said they’d visited hospitals across the country and found a severe shortage of PPEs for health workers. They said there was also a general failure by hospital managers to follow health and safety protocols for limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the work place, which endangered the lives of health workers.

NEHAWU General Secretary Zola Saphetha says there’s still no improvement.

“Certainly no improvement. That’s why are pursuing our campaign,” says Saphetha.

Saphetha says they met with Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize to discuss their grievances last week.

“We’ve met with the Minister, accompanied by his Deputy and his Director-General, including MECs and HODs from across provinces on the 13th which is last week, that meeting could not really resolve on the substantive issues,” says Saphetha.

NEHAWU’s strike action is scheduled for the 10th of September.

“It’s not only in public health, but in all sector where we organise including private, the strike is inevitable,” says Saphetha.

NEHAWU says only a material improvement in the working conditions of health workers over the next few weeks will avert the strike.

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