NEHAWU statement on the NHLS strike
31 July 2017
The National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] is currently consulting its members on the latest offer to end the impasse between the national union and the National Health Laboratories Services [NHLS]. The strike came as a result of deadlocked negotiations between the parties. Today marks the fourth day of the strike.
The strike came as a result of deadlocked negotiations and the union subsequently issued the employer with a 7 day strike notice. The strike started on the 26th July 2017 across the country. We are currently happy with how the strike has unfolded. We are elated that workers came out in numbers to the picket lines and they have maintained high discipline. We also note the unnecessary court interdict by the employer who pleads poverty but yet they have money to spend on frivolous court interdicts.
Further negotiations took place last week Friday and an offer was put on the table for consideration by organised labour. As a worker-led union, we are currently consulting our members on a revised offer presented by the employer. In this regard, it is workers who must give a way forward in relation to the impasse.
The revised offer from the employer is as follows
On Annual salary increase
The employer is offering a salary increase of 7.3% effective from the 1st April 2017 for employees of grade A-D1. The grade A-C increase shall be on basic salary while the D1 will be on Total Cost to Company package.
On Proficiency, Progression & Insourcing
The Parties acknowledge the previously signed agreements regarding Insourcing and Proficiency Assessment appraisal for the purposes of placement of Staff. The employer is therefore offering the following:
1. The proficiency assessment-evaluation for eligible technicians, technologists and scientists at A-D1 will be implemented during the 2017/2018 financial year. This will include finalisation of the scoring tools using the BLRF proposed matrix framework and piloting of the assessment tool by 30th September 2017. The targeted date for the individual assessment of eligible staff that apply for Proficiency Assessment will be 31st October 2017. The new pay rate for the successful candidates shall be effected in the November 2017 normal pay-run. A further lump sum payment, to address payment backdated to 1st October 2016 for successful staff, will be processed through special pay-roll runs.
2. The progression placement for employees at A-D1 within the General and Management pay scale will be implemented in the 2017/2018 financial year at the same time with the proficiency results of the other groups above, as per agreed criteria.
3. Insourcing of the three (3) services namely; gardening, cleaning and security shall be implemented in phases. The implementation of the three (3) services i.e. gardening, cleaning and security shall be implemented in phases as follows:
a) Phase 1: Gardening service 1st September 2017
b) Phase 2: Cleaning service 1st February 2018
c) Phase 3: Security services 1st April 2018
4. In addition to their basic salary, the following benefits shall be extended to the employees in these services:
(a) To effect NHLS 13th Cheque as per approved NHLS guidelines on a pro-rated basis.
(b) To effect the living allowance of R1 500 per month effective from the insourcing date.
(c) To effect compulsory medical aid on 1st April 2019.
(d) In 2018/9, this cohort to get annual salary increase of inflation plus 1% for the next 3yrs. Conversely, should in any of the 3 years the Board approved salary increase for the A-D1 band is greater, than inflation plus 1% the greater shall apply.
(e) A new pay scale for the insourced Gardening, Cleaning and Security Staff Services will remain in force for 5-years, following which it will be aligned to the relevant DPSA pay scale subject to the financial status of the NHLS, and no earlier than April 2023.
On leave
- Three (3) days paternity leave will be given per annum independent of family responsibility leave effective August 2017.
- Union recognised Shop Stewards leave will be increased to ten (10) days per annum effective August 2017, as per recognition agreement, which will be pooled.
On Fulltime Shop Stewards (FTSS)
In principle, the employer is willing to negotiate the additional number of full time shop stewards and benchmark the formula with other sectors. This will be dealt with in bilateral discussions between the concerned parties, immediately after signing the agreement.
On Rural Allowance Criteria
- To review the current rural allowance criteria to include or remove places which may have been inconsistently included and/or excluded, to bring about fairness to the application of the rural allowance benefits.
On Medical Aid Subsidy - Employer Contribution
- To increase the employer medical aid subsidy of employees on A-C bands from 74.6% to 75% backdated to 1st April 2017, without any change to the current medical aid cap of R2 513.50 per month.
- If there is a dispute about the implementation or application of this agreement any party may refer the matter to the dispute resolution procedure as prescribed in the prevailing recognition agreement.
The union is currently embarking on a consultation process with its members for a mandate. While undertaking the mandating process, the strike continues in full swing. A national bargaining forum of the NHLS is convened for the 2nd of August 2017 wherein the final decision will be taken about the offer and the state of strike.
The national union will continue to raise sharply the issues that continue to plague the NHLS. We will at all material times highlight the crumbling of the governance structure at NHLS, the maladministration and corruption that continues to be the order of the day. In this regard, we have called for criminal investigations to be instituted on both the procurement manager and facility manager who have since resigned from NHLS due to the outcomes of the forensic investigation. We are making a call to the board to speed up the disciplinary cases against the CEO, CFO and other managers implicated in maladministration.
We know that 17 cars have been sold to friends by the facility manager and the procurement manager who purchased vehicles without requests from end-users and not following the correct procurement procedures. Some of these vehicles are collecting dust while the institution continues to plead poverty and unable to meet workers’ demands. Furthermore, a tender of R2 million was issued to a service provider without following the correct procedure and up to date no service has been rendered even after the payment was hastily processed.
As part of our 11th National Congress resolutions, the union we will work tirelessly to ensure that the struggle to bring back of our NHLS into public service (Public Health) is intensified. As NEHAWU, we have always advocated through our campaign against the agencification and outsourcing public service as they weaken the ability of the state to be responsive to the needs of communities it serve. The outsourcing of services such as diagnostic laboratory services is not cost effective and it is riddled by corruption, maladministration, and failure by Provincial Health Departments to pay their NHLS bills hence our call for the reintegration of NHLS into the Department of Health and proper budgeting can be allocated to it.
Lastly, while workers were on strike, NHLS has been using private laboratory services which charges exorbitant fees. We have it on good authority that some of the NHLS board members have interests in these private laboratories. We therefore demand full disclosure of all the monies paid to these laboratories prior and during the strike.
Issued by Khaya Xaba, NEHAWU Media Liaison Officer, 31 July 2017
