Union to shut down clinics

MORE than 2 550 South African Liberating Public Sector Workers Union (Salipswu) members have threatened to shut down all health clinics in the Northern Cape following a dispute over bonuses.

The provincial organiser of Salipswu, Thapelo Thole, said yesterday that the shutdown of all clinics in Kimberley would start today and would be extended to other parts of the Province next week.

He emphasised that all 10 clinics in Kimberley would be shut down from today.

The union warned earlier this week that workers would take action unless the Department of Health paid community health workers (CHWs) the money that was due to them.

“According to the resolution regarding minimum wages, workers must be paid R3 500 a month and they should have received a 13th cheque of a further R3 500. So the workers had budgeted for an income of R7 000 this month.

“However, the department has only paid a bonus of R2 500 and money has also been deducted from this amount, so some people have received R2 050 and others R2 276. Why is the department paying R2 500 if the workers are earning R3 500?

“In terms of the agreement, the department owes the CHWs a further R1 000 - this month they should each have received R7 000.”

Thole added that the workers were very angry and were demanding that they receive the full amount owing to them.

According to a message received, the reason for the deduction “is because the system has noticed that they got more money for this month and it is above their tax bracket, therefore tax is deducted automatically. But in February when the system recalculates the tax for the year, it will reimburse them or they can claim the money back from Sars”.

Thole, however, dismissed the excuse given. “This is not our problem. We do not care what happened. They were supposed to have cleared it a long time ago. It is a mess now,” he stated.

“We do not have a problem with the Office of the MEC for Health, Fufu Makatong. They have done their work and we are satisfied and appreciative of their efforts. The administration and HR section of the Department of Health are the cause of this . . . they have messed up.”

According to Thole, the CHWs would continue to close clinics throughout the Province and will keep them closed until the department paid them.

“The workers are demanding the full amount. They control the movement and we as a union cannot stop them. Emotions are running very high at the moment and they are very angry. They have budgeted for the R7 000 and they want it.”

MEC Makatong stated in a press release, issued at the beginning of November, that all registered and recognised CHWs would be absorbed into the Department of Health, irrespective of age and qualifications, and that a 13th cheque would also be paid to CHWs.

The CHWs form part of the ward-based primary health care outreach teams (WBPHCOT) established to improve access to health care as they are intended to be the first point of entry to the health system.

They provide services such as child, adolescent and women’s health, basic preventative care and education, identify people at risk and report/refer to the clinic, support adherence in chronic treatment, early detection and intervention of health problems, illness retention in care of HIV/tuberculosis (TB) infected patients on treatment and offer basic nursing care services.

The spokesperson for the Office of the MEC for Health, Lebogang Majaha, said yesterday that the MEC had always maintained an open-door policy to engage with labour unions to resolve challenges. “Therefore threats made to close facilities will be a directed attack as communities rely on health facilities to provide health care services to them.”

He added that bonuses were committed and adhered to and stated that all CHWs would receive their monthly stipends today, while bonuses were paid yesterday.

“We call on the labour union that made the call to close facilities to take full responsibility for the disruption of services.”

Majaha added that all outstanding queries relating to the payment of CHWs would be attended to next month.

No response was received from the Northern Cape Department of Health.