Havoc was unleashed on Monday during the public servants strike in Kimberley, with tyres and rubble set alight outside government buildings and traffic being obstructed.
HAVOC was unleashed on Monday during the public servants strike in Kimberley, with tyres and rubble set alight and glass bottles smashed outside government buildings and traffic being obstructed.
Faeces was thrown at the administration block at the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Department of Education, while patients and staff members were prevented from entering Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital.
The strike went ahead despite an urgent interdict that was obtained in the Labour Court on March 4 to prevent any industrial action from taking place.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) appealed the court order on Monday.
Nehawu is demanding a 10 percent salary increase, pay progressions beyond the last notch, bursary schemes for the children of public servants, a R2,500 housing allowance, a review of back-dated salary increases and the union wants the employer to stop using the courts to settle bargaining matters.
Patients who were turned away at the gates of health facilities believed that they should not be dragged into the debacle.
“We understand the plight of the workers but why must members of the public suffer? Some people are unemployed and have no income – they have more cause to protest. We only want access to essential services. What will happen in the event of an emergency? It is selfish to place the lives of the sick and elderly at risk,” the patients said.
A Sol Plaatje University student stated that it was the second day that she had missed classes.
“I usually have to take the whole day to visit the hospital and I am losing out on valuable learning time. I was told to come back on Monday for my appointment and now I will have to reschedule again. It is very inconvenient.”
Nehawu provincial treasurer Regina Manhe said they had embarked on a peaceful and legal strike as the union was appealing the interdict.
“Everyone, including cleaners, is an essential worker. We are not intimidating anybody or preventing anyone from reporting for duty,” said Manhe.
She pointed out that with government’s revised offer, this year’s wage increase amounted to a mere 0.5 percent.
“It is nonsense that the employer does not have money for increases, while there is always an endless supply to steal. Officials who appeared in court on charges of fraud and corruption are back at work or were promoted. Nothing happened to those implicated in the personal protective equipment (PPE) scandal. Even the companies that were awarded the tenders never faced any prosecution. It appears as if consequence management only applies to workers and not management.”
Manhe added that staff members were overworked after a moratorium was placed on the filling of vacancies following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“One person is expected to do the work of five people. Look at the state of government buildings and hospitals that are falling into disrepair and the shortage of resources.
“We also want a bursary scheme for public servants because we do not qualify for aid from the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and cannot afford to send our children to university.”
Manhe stated that strike action would continue indefinitely until their demands have been met.
Northern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Lulu Mxekezo said strike action was mainly affecting major hospitals in the Sol Plaatje municipal district.
“Not all facilities in the Province are impacted. The Northern Cape Department of Health has noted with concern the violent and disruptive actions by some trade union members at some health facilities around the country. The department respects the right to strike by members of the trade unions as enshrined in the Constitution of the country. However, such a right should not violate the constitutional rights of others to life and access to health care,” said Mxekezo.
“Any form of violence and intimidation directed at health workers, patients and infrastructure is condemned in the strongest terms.”
Mxekezo added that the department was working closely with the provincial health authorities and law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation to ensure rapid response and necessary urgent interventions to minimise the impact of the strike on the provision of essential health services.
“The participation of employees rendering essential services or maintenance services in the strike during working hours will constitute misconduct. The principle of ‘no-work, no pay’ will also be strictly and timeously applied without fear or favour.”
Video: Soraya Crowie
The Labour Court on Monday granted the interim interdict, where it stipulated that workers would be embarking on an unprotected strike if they decided to continue with industrial action.
In court papers, the Department of Public Service and Administration stated that strike action would affect all public services, including education, health, police, home affairs, social development and correctional services.
“The strike will serve no sensible or lawful purpose given that the current financial year expires on March 31. The union seeks to cripple the public sector and the provision of public services to force the employer to afford them increases in the current financial year in circumstances where no allocation of public funds has been made and where negotiations in the next financial year have already commenced.”
