NEHAWU calls on the Minister of DHET to address the plight of workers in the department
17 September 2024
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] calls on the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane to immediately address issues confronting our members and workers in the department of higher education and training.
As NEHAWU, we strongly believe that DHET remains an essential instrument to respond to the needs and developmental agenda of our society hence we support its vision of creating an integrated, coordinated and articulated system for improved economic participation and the social development of youth and adults. This vision, however shall not be achieved if the department continues to devalue workers as they are at the point of production and service to ensure that department meet its objectives.
Our members and workers at DHET have for a long time had to endure miseries, pains and suffocation brought about by the treatment from presupposed caring but intransigent management of the department. Overtime now, we have been witnessing poor administration in the department especially at Head Office, which systematically provided poor service and support to the PSET. This has resulted into a complete collapse of Corporate Services Branch which seriously remained with skeleton staff due to non-filling of vacant funded posts especially at the of senior management, using outdated Human Resource Policies and a dysfunctional organisational structure whereby certain individuals within the department are working but not appearing anywhere in the operational organisational structure of the department, leading into non-payment of salaries as some workers are owed at least three months’ salaries by the department with no guarantee to be paid anytime soon.
It is astonishing and appalling that the department would have individuals working but are not in its organisational structure yet there are more than 200 workers on contract of employment for over 10 years with no commitment to absorb them permanently. This behaviour is in contravention with the Labour Relations Act as amended and we call on the department to end exploitation now or face the mighty of our gallant and fighting union. Workers deserve permanent and stable employment — not to be treated as mere disposable pawns in a power game. The casualization of workers is cruel and pure anti-worker posture negates the same efforts of creating permanent, decent and sustainable jobs for our people, particularly for the working class amidst the high cost of living and the high level of poverty faced by South Africans.