JUST IN: Labour Appeal Court interdicts Nehawu members from striking

The Labour Appeal Court on Monday morning interdicted any industrial action by trade union Nehawu, its members, and employees.

JUST IN – THE COURT ORDER IS APPLICABLE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

The order is applicable with immediate effect.

The spokesperson for National Health Department, Foster Mohale, said the court further ruled that Nehawu’s members and all essential service employees are prevented from continuing with or participating in any such strike, picket, or any other form of industrial action.

The union was ordered to inform its members and officials across the country about the ruling by no later than 13:00 on Monday.

NEHAWU WAS ORDERED TO INFORM ITS MEMBERS NO LATER THAN 13:00 ON MONDAY

Earlier on Monday, Health Minister Joe Phaahla visited the hospital on Monday morning, where all services came to a complete standstill last week.

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THE HEALTH MINISTER WARNED THAT THE DEATH TOLL COULD BE HIGHER

He said the deaths reported at the Thelle Mogoerane District Hospital in Vosloorus could be linked to the Nehawu wage strike.

This comes as staff affiliated with the trade union Nehawu abandoned their posts last week over their demand for a 10% wage increase.

The union vowed to intensify its strike this week as the government stood firm on its 3% offer for the 2022/2023 financial year.

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NEHAWU VOWED TO INTENSIFY ITS STRIKE THIS WEEK

The minister said there are reports that babies died at the hospital.

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“Until we get the final reports from the clinicians and the pathologist, we will still be saying most deaths are probably linked to the strike. We are talking about people who died in our facilities in a situation where they could not be attended to.

“Where the healthcare professionals who should be looking after they were barred from entering the facility. When I was here on Saturday, there would be wards where you have 50 children who are being cared for in the neonatal unit, where ordinarily you will have about 20 nurses looking after them, and only three have been able to sneak in and look after them.

“So you can imagine that some of them are kids that are premature and need lots of care, and almost every few minutes, somebody must be able to check.”

Health Minister Joe Phaahla

CLINICAL REPORTS ARE STILL OUTSTANDING

He furthermore warned the death toll may be higher as he is still waiting for clinical reports.

According to Phaahla, the number is not standing at four.

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He said there are more reports, but we just want to be very accurate in terms of the accuracy, so we are getting all the clinical reports and all the clinical data.

“All I can say at this stage is that there are more than four that we have received, and we are getting reports from other provinces as well.”

Meanwhile, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has deployed military healthcare practitioners from the South African Military Health Services (SAMHS).

THE SANDF HAS BEEN DEPLOYED TO HOSPITALS

According to SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Andries Mokoena Mahapa, this comes after a request for assistance by the Department of Health (DOH) due to the strike action by workers affiliated with the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) across the country.

“The military healthcare practitioners were deployed on Wednesday, 08 March 2023, to hospitals as determined by the DOH and will remain deployed as may be required.

“The National Disaster Management Act of 2002 provides for the deployment of SANDF personnel to a National Organ of State for the rendering of emergency services.”

Brigadier General Andries Mokoena Mahapa

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