SADNU Media Statement 11-06-07

 

MEDIA STATEMENT ON DISMISSAL OF NURSES

We have received with utter dismay news of the decision of the Department of Health to dismiss all nurses that are on strike.

This decision, notwithstanding Essential Services Legislation, is quite shocking. The Department, having showed lack of commitment to conclude Minimum Service Agreements over the last ten(10) years, should at least use the opportunity to engage Labour at the workplace level with a view to concluding these Agreements in the interests of patients and the country, rather than take the hardline stance of dismissing nurses and other health workers who are deemed to be rendering Essential Services. By implication these services are not essential (if government can dismiss thousands of health workers, then the services can’t be essential).

It is important to note that government is calling on nurses to return to work, and making guarantees that they will deliver Essential Services in a safe environment. Admittedly government has stepped up security measures in the majority of the affected institutions. But the reality is that these nurses come from communities-their lives are not confined to health care institutions. Our understanding is that most of the nurses that have joined the action, did so out of making a choice to live, and government must take this into account.

Clearly the position that government has taken does no assist in resolving the situation but only fuels it to levels of anarchy. As a union, in observing Essential Services, and demonstrating the value we attach to life, we have ensured that, notwithstanding the levels of anger among the membership, minimum provision of nurses is maintained at all times in all critical areas so that no life is lost in the fight for better wages and conditions of service.

Should government continue to institute the dismissals , we ‘ll have no option other than to call on all our members who are continuing to render services in the critical areas to join the action. We subscribe to the slogan: AN INJURY TO ONE, IS AN INJURY TO ALL. Translated to the current scenario this slogan will imply FIRE ONE NURSE, FIRE ALL NURSES. We make a firm undertaking that our members are not on their own in this fight- the union is firmly behind them.

We have noted with concern government’s strong hand on peaceful demonstrators. That even today police officers are continuing to brutalise and arrest peaceful demonstrators, runs against the commitment by government that services will continue to be delivered in a safe environment. We condemn police brutality and arrests of innocent peaceful demonstrators, and in time we will act accordingly against these barbaric acts. We demand immediate release of the arrested members.

We do not have the slightest doubt that our demands on improvements in salaries and conditions of service for public service employees are reasonable. To demonstrate our willingness to engage, we have lowered our demand for a salary increase to 10%. This demand, against the backdrop of the high cost of living and increase in interest rates, remains reasonable. Government must now commit to resolving the impasse. Public service employees cannot take inflation related increases any longer.

For a living wage,

……………………… ..

Moeketsi Mohai

General Secretary