Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Chess tournament leaves participants feeling grandiose
  • GM Direct publishing break
  • “Makhanda is in shambles,” says Ward Four resident
  • GADRA and Mobile Science Lab launch new science project
  • Ward Two residents buy own floodlights to combat cable theft
  • A town without a playground: where do the children play?
  • Women, Politics, Power, Patriachy: A feminist lens
  • Makhanda’s Links Royal House Gaokx’aob (Chief) has died
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»NEWS»Interdicted public sector workers’ strike takes off!
NEWS

Interdicted public sector workers’ strike takes off!

Health workers stand firm in their bid for a 10% pay increase
Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailMarch 8, 2023Updated:March 9, 2023No Comments2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
The national strike by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) began in Makhanda on 7 March, with union members shutting down the Settler's Day Clinic. Photo: Fahdia Msaka.

By Fahdia Msaka, Anga Bushwana and ‘Odidi Matai-Sigudla

About 120 members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in Makhanda have joined the union’s indefinite strike, shutting down the Settler’s Day Clinic from 7 March.

On 6 March, the union went on strike across the country for a 10% increase after rejecting the government’s 4.7% offer. The Labour Court granted the Department of Public Service and Administration an interdict on 5 March against the strike but Nehawu filed an appeal and said it would continue to strike until the appeal was heard.

Nehawu president, Mike Shingange told media this week that the current strike is a result of the long-drawn out public sector negotiations that began several months ago.

“The 10% that those of us who are on the streets are demanding is the 10% we demanded last year when we started negotiations” Shingange said.

Striking members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) occupied the Settler’s Day Clinic on 7 March and shut it down. Photo: Fahdia Msaka.

Department of Employment and Labour minister Thulas Nxesi has warned that the strike would remain unprotected until the appeal was finalised. He told the media that striking workers would not be paid.

Makhanda’s Nehawu shopstewards asked that their names not be published and said they would keep Settler’s Day Clinic shut until their demands were met. “No one would be attending work on the 8th of March. We will also be striking from 7am” the shopsteward said.

A health worker at the strike told Grocott’s Mail that she would still strike even if she lost wages because she was “doing it for the people and would like to see the children of public servants receiving bursaries for tertiary education”.

As the week went by, strikers held protests at several government buildings in Makhanda.

“As NEHAWU, we remain resolute that no amount of court intimidation by the government will deter us from this noble worthy cause that we have embarked on – fighting for public servants, defending collective bargaining and rights of workers. We shall not retreat no surrender. It’s Aluta Continua” said Shingange.

Patients who had arrived at the clinic for medical treatment had to leave without being seen by nurses or doctors.

Previous Article‘Time for South Africans to Rise up and Demand Change’
Next Article Battle to keep High Court in Makhanda gathers speed
Grocott's Mail

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.