Talks continue as health lab strike suspended

The NHLS strike that started last week Wednesday has been suspended pending the finalisation of a settlement argument.

On Tuesday the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) came to a decision to suspend the NHLS strike with immediate effect. The decision was taken after extensive consultation with members on the revised offer tabled by the NHLS last week Friday. The union has further asked for a meeting with NHLS management for the purpose of settlement.

“As Nehawu we would like to commend our members for remaining disciplined and resolute in picket lines as they were struggling for a living wage and better working conditions. We applaud the tenacity with which they confronted the intransigence of the employer coupled with a court interdict meant to discourage them,” said Nehawu in their press statement.

“The negative effects of this strike are going to become very serious as thousands of medical tests are delayed,” said Jack Bloom, DA Shadow Minister of Health, in a media statement. Bloom appealed to Nehawu to think about the patients who would suffer and to settle the matter as soon as possible.

The NHLS downed tools after the national body said that they could not meet the demands of the workers. NHLS had agreed to a 7.3% wage increase following their negotiations with the unions. However the national body could not meet the employees’ demands for better benefits which include a housing allowance, as the union demanded a housing allowance of R2,000 a month and better working conditions.

The NHLS provides laboratory and public-related health services to more than 80% of South Africa’s population operating about 300 laboratories nationwide. The NHLS conducts a variety of tests which include cervical screening and testing babies for HIV.

They conduct these services for the public health sector; 70% of all clinical decisions are based on pathology tests so this means that millions of people depend on the NHLS.

Nehawu will meet NHLS management with the purpose of settling. Deputy General Secretary of Nehawu December Mavuso said: “We are hopeful that the meeting will go according (to plan) as there are just a few areas that need to be touched on.”

In a joint statement by the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27 they expressed that they supported the employees of NHLS in their quest for a reasonable salary increase and working conditions: “We commend them for exposing corruption and call for an urgent investigation into allegations by Nehawu and others,” said SECTION27 and TAC in a media statement.

They further appealed to the unions working in the health sector not to conduct wage disputes “in a manner which jeopardises people’s lives”.

Although the strike might be suspended it is known that the NHLS faces a major debt problem which might see them not being able to pay salaries from November. The main root of the problem lies in the failure of provincial governments to pay their NHLS bills, with R5-billion outstanding. “There is no sort of commitment from the province, if province doesn’t pay NHLS will run out of funds,” said Prof Shabir Madhi, NHLS CEO.

Madhi further explained that contingency plans were put in place as tests were redirected to laboratories that were functioning and in cases where they were no functioning laboratories, they outsourced to the private sector. DM

Photo: The NHLS provides services to more than 80% of South Africa’s population operating about 300 laboratories nationwide.(Photo: EPA/DAREK DELMANOWICZ)