Health workers end strike

National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU)-affiliated workers started reporting to work at QwaQwa’s Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital yesterday evening, ending a week-long strike that had all but crippled services at the facility.

Staff at the QwaQwa hospital in the eastern Free State had embarked on the industrial action last Friday over lack of payment for overtime worked, leading to overcrowding at surrounding hospitals.

This resulted in emergencies being redirected to Dihlabeng Hospital in Bethlehem which is more than 50km from QwaQwa. The hospital is reportedly already overcrowded.
The strike was called off around midday yesterday following a court interdict from the health department, and Nehawu regional secretary Maurice Mopeli confirmed the strike has been put on ice to allow for further negotiations.

“We suspended our strike today (Thursday) to give negotiations a chance. Our members will be back at work while we continue to negotiate on their behalf with the department,” Mopeli told The Weekly.

The department of health had vowed to take disciplinary action against striking Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital workers who had downed tools demanding improved working conditions.

Health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi, who issued the warning in an interview with The Weekly on Wednesday this week, had expressed disappointed that the workers had not called off their strike despite the department’s mediation efforts.

According to Mvambi the striking workers, had on Tuesday, met with a delegation from the provincial department led by deputy director-general for corporate services (DDG), Sipho Mtakati, who had been deployed to lead negotiations with the disgruntled workers.

He said the department had made it clear to the workers that it was committed to addressing the issues raised by the workers and ensure the institution remained functioning as normal.