Health workers down tools

By Ofentse Mokae
26 May 2010

Following the recent declaration of a dispute with the management of Netcare hospitals in regard to 2010 wage negotiations, the trade union HOSPERSA, representing Nursing and Administrative staff within the Netcare group has announced that picketing will commence at various Netcare hospitals today.

The union says nursing and administrative staff will begin picketing action outside eight Netcare hospitals after a wage disagreement.

Secretary general Noel Desfontaines says labour has asked for a wage increase of 12-percent and Netcare is only offering eight-point-two-five-percent.

Desfontaines says the industrial action is not a strike, and will only be conducted during lunch and after hours.

He says Netcare often takes advantage of labour’s reluctance to strike.

He also pointed out that the shop stewards committee had gone out of its way in its efforts to avert industrial action, but Netcare’s intransigent attitude had left them with no choice but to proceed with the action in order to convince management to reconsider their offer which he maintains is unreasonable.

He added that despite the call for a strike, members have agreed to first embark on picketing in order to minimise the effect of service disruption.