NEHAWU marched against the National Department of Social Development

PSI affiliate in South Africa says the march (10 February) was a warning shot to the department. The union confirms that a full blown strike is imminent, should the employers not meet NEHAWU’s demands by Wednesday February 15.

The national action comes as result of collapsed negotiations in the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC) where the employers arrogantly and dismally failed to table any counter offer against the reasonable demands made since August 2015, or accept this.

NEHAWU says the posture and high level of arrogance displayed by the department cannot be tolerated anymore. Social service professionals are poorly paid, and are not compensated in a dignified manner, as valued contributors to social development at the point of service.

PSI is concerned and calls on the employers to engage again with the workers and speedily reach an agreement. It is unacceptable that the negotiation started in August 2015 and to date no agreement has been reached.

PSI has for a long time been concerned with the health of all workers, the special risks faced by health care workers, and the commitment of public service workers to provide quality health services to the populations whom they serve. PSI believes that the pay of public health sector workers should be determined by collective bargaining based on fair negotiation.