Around 200 Community Health Workers (CHWs) represented by  the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) on Tuesday marched to the Western Cape Provincial Legislature (WCPP) to demand wage increases and recognition as public servants.

According to their memorandum, the union wanted Community Health Workers to receive a minimum salary of R3,500 per month, in accordance with the National Minimum wage. The union, however, still considers this a meagre salary.

“That still amounts to starvation wages,” said Omar Parker, the NUPSAW Western Cape manager.

The union alleges that CHWs are being paid a mere R2,400 by the NGO/NPOs they are employed under.

A Community Health Worker holds up a sign demanding better pay. NUPSAW claims that worker’s job security is under threat at various NGOs and NPOs employing CHWs. 26 March 2019. Photo: Sandisiwe Shoba

“These workers are rendering a very important service in our community… on behalf of the Department of Health. But they are at the mercy of the NGOs,” said Parker.

The union said it wants “full recognition of community health workers as public servants”. Community Health workers are not government employees.

Spokesperson Colleen Smart on behalf of the MEC said that the Provincial Department of Health has service-level agreements (SLAs) with NPOs who render community healthcare services to the public.

“The Western Cape Departmental position (as communicated to the National Director General, and confirmed in the National Health Council (NHC) is to deliver community-based health services via a network of Non-Profit Organizations (NPO’s) who employ CHW’s,” she said.

The crowd, which consisted entirely of female CHWs gathered on the steps of the Provincial Legislature and demanded that the MEC for Health Nomafrench Mbombo emerge from the building to receive their memorandum.

“We want Mbombo!” they chanted angrily. Meanwhile the MEC was tabling the R24.7 billion Provincial Health budget for 2019/2020.

The Ministry instead sent Dr Douglas Newman-Valentine, the Head of Department to receive and sign the union’s memorandum.

When asked why the MEC could not sign the memorandum in person, Newman-Valentine explained that she could not abandon the budget speech which was then in progress.

The union, however, refused to hand over the document stating that the MEC’s absence was an indication that the Western Cape government is insensitive to the plight of workers.

“It is a sign of disrespect,” said Andre Adams, the Provincial Secretary for the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), the umbrella body under which NUPSAW falls.

According to Parker, the Department is dishonouring Resolution 1 of 2018 – the Agreement of the standardisation of remuneration for Community Health Workers in the Department of Health – which was signed in June 2018 by the department and representative Trade Unions. Under this agreement CHWs should be paid the minimum salary of R3,500. However, it will only come into effect on 1 April 2019.

For Parker, the waiting period for the agreement to come into effect is too long.

“This is nine months later,” he said. “We (as the union) are saying this is unacceptable.”

By 1.30pm the MEC had still not arrived to receive the memorandum. By law, the crowd was required to disperse at this time as their permit to protest had expired.

One protester, Zanele Ndibongo, was adamant that the crowd would not leave until Minister Mbombo addressed them.

“We’re saying that if we have to sleep here, we will,” she insisted.

The union leaders also opted to send a strongly worded email to the MEC requesting her to emerge from the building.

As a last resort, NUPSAW leaders decided to email the memorandum to Mbombo, with the expectation that she would organise a meeting with the Community Health Workers to respond to their grievances.

According to Smart, the MEC received the memorandum and will respond to NUPSAW by the deadline – which was unspecified.

“We recognise the importance of these workers and their value to our health system,” she said.

A Community Health Worker is a member of the community in which she works and who serves and responds to the health needs of the community, such as door-to-door visits, raising awareness about diseases and conducting health promotion activities. DM