NATIONAL NEWS - Patients’ lives at Grey’s Hospital’s ICU were compromised after striking employees blockaded the entrances of the hospital, preventing anyone from attending to their duties there on Tuesday morning.
The workers, affiliated with different unions under the Congress of the South African Trade Union (Cosatu), went on strike over wage increments in the public sector.
While Grey’s employees were protesting, some employees were prevented from accessing the facility.
One of those was head of anaesthetics at the hospital, Dr Zane Farina, who was turned away at the gate by the protestors. Asked how he felt about the incident, Farina told The Witness that he was worried about his patients.
I’m just thinking about my patients dying inside there. I have them in ICU and with this strike no one seems interested in saving those lives. I’ve tried speaking to employee representatives in an attempt to get inside but with no luck. I really don’t think that this should be happening; it’s people’s lives at stake.
Both entrances to the hospital were blockaded as early as 07:00 on Tuesday.
This follows a wage dispute between the unions and the employer.
The unions had demanded a 10% wage increment while the employer, without consulting the employee representatives, implemented a three per cent increase, angering the unions.
Cosatu provincial secretary, Edwin Mkhize said the strike was legal as it was organised in line with the minimal service level agreement which provides that there be skeleton staff when public sector employees embark on strike action.
If the employer thinks of taking action against our members we will defend them. No hospital was left unattended — there was skeleton staff, so the strike action is within the law.
The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) said a tougher stance needed to be taken for the employer to take employees’ demands seriously.
Union secretary in the Harry Gwala Region, Mazwi Ngubane said the employer has shown that the workers’ needs were not a priority.
We don’t like the fact that healthcare services are affected, but this had to happen. The employer is taking us for granted and this is the only way that we have to get our grievances attended to.
We demand a 10% increase and surprisingly, while we are still expecting more talks, the government implements a three percent increase. The arrogance that the employer has displayed has done no good for the public in general.
We have had no salary increase for three years and when we ask for 10% we have three percent thrown at us. How is that going to make a meaningful change in our daily lives? This strike here is just the beginning.
The Public Servants Association of South Africa said Tuesday’s strike was to show the government how serious it was about better wages for its members.
Sam Molefe, a local representative for the association said last week they handed over a memorandum in which they made their stance on the wage issue clear.
We are tired of being the sacrificial lamb for the incompetency of this government. We are going to make sure that services are disrupted though we are not happy with that. We don’t seem to be given a choice because every time we talk with the employer, we are not taken seriously.
KZN Health spokesperson Agiza Hlongwane said the department would respond as soon as it gets a report from Grey’s.
However, none was received at the time of publication. Hospital CEO Dr Ben Bilenge told The Witness on Tuesday afternoon that the situation was back to normal at the hospital.
The doctors and nurses are in and the strike has died down. No loss of life was reported and we are back on track.
