Nursing union. Tax relief needed for health workers
The Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to introduce tax relief measures and danger allowance for all healthcare workers.
President Ramaphosa is set to address the nation on Thursday and announce measures to ease the lockdown and reopen the economy.
The union's president Lerato Madumo-Gova says healthcare workers are putting their own lives at risk and therefor deserve financial relief.
"We want to hear the president committing some money to continue training, development and support of healthcare workers. We want 6 months tax relief for all the healthcare providers and danger allowance that comes with being assigned to Covid-19 wards, and an increase in salary.”
She adds that more testing need to be done on healthcare workers.
"We want to hear the commitment from the Presidency on immediate and scheduled periodic Covid-19 testing for all healthcare professionals. We do believe that many of us, as healthcare providers are already exposed, as we have been treating Covid-19 positive and suspected cases without proper protective gear, and still, we transport ourselves back home in our communities. We might do more harm than good to our communities.”
Madumo-Gova also urged the president to establish the commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged looting during COVID-19 lockdown.
"We have been promised many things like personal protective equipment that are donated but they never reach us. The commission must not wait until the end of Covid-19."
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