Nehawu explains why members refused to move to other E Cape health facilities

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National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), has sought to explain why its members refused to move to other Eastern Cape health facilities after the Health Department closed the Orsmond Tuberculosis Hospital for almost two-years to patients.

In response to a recent Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question, the Department acknowledged that 45 medical employees have been paid for no work.

The Department has so-far paid R67 million in salaries to staff.

“What started the problem was the department instructing those workers to move elsewhere without being consulted. That is when we approached the public health bargaining chamber, which we got an award to say the department must first consult, they can’t remove those workers without consulting. Again, they started to deduct leave without pay, which we again went to court to get an urgent interdict which was granted in our favour, preventing the department from deducting their salaries without having done the due processes that are necessary before you remove workers,” Nehawu’s Provincial Secretary, Mlungiseli Ncapayi explains.