NEHAWU DEATH STRIKE DAY THREE
Cosatu speaks out against violence, calls for discipline and lawful strike action by Nehawu
Trade union federation Cosatu condemned reports of violence and appealed for peace and lawful protest action, as the wage strike of the Cosatu-affiliated National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union entered its third day.
The trade union federation, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), on Wednesday called on striking public service workers to conduct their strike in a “peaceful, disciplined and lawful manner”, following two days of violent and disruptive actions at health facilities.
Nehawu is affiliated to Cosatu, the country’s largest trade union federation and a tripartite alliance partner of the ruling ANC.
Read in Daily Maverick: “Let’s be clear: The hospital strike must be called off now”
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) on Monday 6 March embarked on an indefinite strike to protest against the wages and conditions of public health sector workers.
The union has rejected the government’s 4.7% wage increase for the 2023/24 financial year, demanding a 10% pay hike.
Patients had to walk a distance due to the road being closed at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital on March 08, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The health workersí union are demanding a 10% salary hike and the strike is taking place at several hospitals around Johannesburg. (Photo by Gallo Images/Fani Mahuntsi)
The protests are ongoing despite the Labour Court ordering on Tuesday morning that an interdict stopping the violent strike be implemented immediately. Nehawu had applied for leave to appeal against this order.
The Nehawu strike action has paralysed South Africa’s health facilities, with increasing reports of intimidation and violence at health facilities, as health workers were barred from helping patients or entering hospitals, surgeries were cancelled, and ambulances were unable to respond to emergency calls.
It was reported that numerous hospitals in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were affected, including Chris Hani Baragwanath, Leratong and Tembisa hospitals, all in Gauteng. Pelonomi and Manapo Hospitals in the Free State, Khayelitsha Hospital in the Western Cape, and Tshepong and Moses Kotane hospitals in North West were also affected, along with Kimberly and Upington hospitals in the Northern Cape.
Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations
Read more in Daily Maverick:
- “Wage strike hammers health services across the country”
- “Nehawu strike continues despite second interdict, leaving health facilities reeling”
- “Nehawu strike continues to hit hard with widespread reports of deaths and suffering”
In a statement on Wednesday, Cosatu condemned the “disturbing reports of violent incidents and destruction of property by the striking public service workers.
“While we fully support the striking workers and believe that their fight is a legitimate one, we regret the disruption to public services which the strike has caused and any violent incidents or damage to property,” Cosatu national spokesperson, Sizwe Pamla said in the statement.
“We urge members and workers to remember that a strike is an act in defence of working-class interests, and it must not result in working-class communities who use these public facilities becoming the unintended casualties of it.”
We urge members and workers to remember that a strike is an act in defence of working-class interests, and it must not result in working-class communities who use these public facilities becoming the unintended casualties of it. #PublicServiceStrike
— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) March 8, 2023
While Cosatu said it did not condone acts of violence by anyone, it seemed to shift the responsibility to law enforcement and management to “avoid provocative actions that antagonise workers.
“We also do not accept that all unfortunate incidents can be blamed on striking workers.”
The trade union federation urged employers to meet unions at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC), to find an amicable solution.
Nehawu members protest outside George Tabor Technical College on March 08, 2023 in Soweto, South Africa. The health workersí union are demanding a 10% salary hike and the strike is taking place at several hospitals around Johannesburg. (Photo by Gallo Images/Fani Mahuntsi)
The PSCBC – having noted the disruptions at health facilities – on Wednesday, 8 March called on the collective trade unions and the government to return to the PSCBC to engage in a facilitated process to resolve the issues.
The facilitation is proposed to take place on Thursday, 9 March.
The National Department of Health on Monday condemned the violent and disruptive actions at health facilities, but has maintained that it is too early to call in the army, Daily Maverick’s Estelle Ellis reported.
“The department respects the right to strike by members of the trade unions as enshrined in the Constitution of the country. However, such rights should not violate the constitutional rights of others to life and access to healthcare,” it said in a statement. DM
They will of course get charged for destroying Public Property by lighting fires in the road.
Disgusting people.
Too little too late Cosatu. Once you’ve started the fire you can’t shrug your shoulders and express “regret”. Remember you’re a part of the “ruling” alliance. Its called responsibility
Latest report is of strikers pulling an injured child out of an ambulance. Do South African workers on strike have a higher propensity for savage violence than workers on strike in other countries. Or is that just an unfair perception.
The condemnation of the savage behaviour of its members by the COSATU bigwigs is not good enough. Those fat cats union “leaders” have an obligation to physically go there and stop their members from committing these heinous acts.
As usual, Cele and his team is nowhere to be seen. The whole situation is a total disgrace.
What an absolutely disgraceful response by COSATU – no less appalling than the brutal thuggish conduct of the members of COSATU affiliate, NEHAWU. What did COSATU bigwigs do IMMEDIATELY the criminal, inhumane actions of its affiliate were splashed all across our TV screens & more than enough evidence was available for all to witness? Why were they not monitoring the strike from the get-go in a responsible, proactive manner? Why was COSATU not alive to the cynical lodging of an appeal against the interdict against the strike & claiming that to be a suspension of the original interdict to assume licence to cause mayhem, intimidation, untold suffering & fear among poor, sick people already burdened by so much hardship? COSATU & the ANC Regime cannot claim ignorance or inexperience of how these “strikes” play out – at all levels. Look at our universities & the threats to “burn down” the edifice unless student “demands” are met.
“We are angry” seems to be licence to resort to violence & disruption at every turn, bringing this country to its knees. This is frightening and horrific. If these NEHAWU strikers beaver in this brutal, unthinking manner in plain sight of all, how do they care for the poor sick patients in their care? Desperate pleas for assistance by terrified health workers who took their lives in their hands to turn up to care for the abandoned patients fell on the characteristically deaf ears of the ruling elite MIA as per usual. Shame on you all!
If these NEHAWU members BEHAVE (not ‘beaver’)…
With this being a nehawu strike, sure all the costs of damaged items etc, nehawu is responsible to cover? Either that or that need to supply the names of the perpetrators. There is a difference between striking and vandalism/hooliganism.