President Cyril Ramaphosa meets National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union. Engagements will continue on a range of issues concerning collective bargaining and workplace conditions in the public sector, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Photo: GCIS]
Nehawu and government to continue engagement on workplace conditions
President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted a meeting with the national office bearers of Nehawu on Friday 25 September.
President Cyril Ramaphosa meets National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union. Engagements will continue on a range of issues concerning collective bargaining and workplace conditions in the public sector, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Photo: GCIS]
Government and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) will continue engagement on a range of issues concerning collective bargaining and workplace conditions in the public sector, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes after a meeting hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa with the national office-bearers of the public-sector trade union on Friday 25 September.
The meeting followed the union’s submission of a memorandum to the president relating to, among others, improving occupational health and safety uniformly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions of service more broadly and implementation of clause 3.3 of Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) Resolution 1 of 2018, which deals with salary adjustments for the 2020/2021 financial year, and which is currently the subject of litigation.
GOVERNMENT AND NEHAWU WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE ISSUES RAISED
Ramaphosa chaired the meeting in which Nehawu was represented by the union’s President, Mzwandile Makwayiba; First Deputy President Mike Shingange; Second Deputy President Nyameka Macanda; National Treasurer Kgomotso Makhupola, and General Secretary Zola Saphetha.
Minister in The Presidency Jackson Mthembu, Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi, Minister for the Public Service and Administration Senzo Mchunu and Deputy Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla also participated in the meeting which was characterised by a frank and cordial exchange of views and information.
The meeting agreed that government and Nehawu would continue to work on the issues raised in the Nehawu memorandum. These are currently being discussed by task teams.
“Reports of these task teams will be presented to a meeting of senior leadership of government and public sector unions who will meet again soon on a mutually convenient date to develop solutions in the interest of workers, the public sector and the nation and economy at large,” the presidency said in a statement.
MARCH TO THE UNION BUILDINGS
Nehawu, on Monday 21 September, marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in an effort to get their demands addressed.
Nehawu, among others, wanted an 8% wage hike for front line workers fighting COVID-19 and better working conditions. In a statement released on Sunday 20 September, Nehawu General Secretary Zola Saphetha said the Presidency failed to respond to their requests.
“Since we submitted the memorandum of demands to the President of the Republic through the eight Premiers, the Speaker of National Parliament and directly to the Union Buildings and he has not responded to our demands as he was given seven days to respond which expired on 10 September 2020,” he said.
“On 11 September 2020, Nehawu wrote to the Office of the President to remind him about the ultimatum which had expired and informing him about our intention to withdraw labour-power. Disappointingly, the Office of the President has only acknowledged the receipt of our letter and nothing about responding to our demands.”
