Tensions at Witrand Hospital over suspended Nehawu officials
A storm is brewing between the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union in the North West and the provincial health department.
Four shop stewards at the Witrand Psychiatric Hospital were suspended in December last year.
The union has accused the department’s management of targeting its leaders for raising concerns about the facility's operations.
However, the department has denied the claims.
Nehawu’s regional secretary in Tlokwe, Mpho Mohlala, says the deputy director general for hospital support services, Polaki Mokatsane, failed to follow due process when issuing suspension letters to its representatives at the hospital.
“We have policies that guide us in terms of how a shop steward should be disciplined if he has committed a misconduct. But, in this instance, the employer failed to follow the proper procedure in terms of applying Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act.”
Item 4 (2) of Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act provides that discipline against a trade union representative or an employee who is an office-bearer or official of a recognised trade union should not be instituted before informing and consulting the trade union.
The suspended officials include the Witrand branch secretary, James Makhaza, and the regional treasurer, Moeder Matlapeng.
The pair and two additional members were suspended in October pending an investigation into claims that they disrupted and destabilised services and prevented healthcare provision at the facility.
The alleged transgressions include refusal to obey instructions, instructing nurses not to escort patients, participating in an unprotected strike, and the intimidation and victimisation of the executive management.
In a written response, the department spokesperson Boitshoko Moremi maintains that it met with the union’s regional leadership and followed due process.
“The NWDOH confirms that it communicated and consulted with Nehawu Tlokwe Regional leadership in terms of Item 4 of Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 about the role played by the implicated officials in the alleged acts of misconduct and the intended investigations involving the latter. Communication and meeting took place before and on the 5th October 2024 at Witrand Psychiatric Hospital, respectively.”
However, Mohlala says the move is intended to discourage workers from voicing their concerns.
“We have an issue with uniform where our workers don’t have proper uniform, and the escorting of patients by nurses…also tools of trade such cleaning material and toiletry for the patients are not being provided. This management isn’t doing justice at all, because our workers need to put more effort into the work.
“For example, the sewing machines aren’t working, and it pushes our workers to do that manually. When we ask how long it will take to fix that, they don’t want to respond on those issues.”
Moremi rejected Mohlala’s assertions: “The department disputes and dismisses the unfounded allegations that it targeted and aimed at silencing those Nehawu shop stewards from challenging management over labour-related [issues] and operations at Witrand Psychiatric Hospital.”
Meanwhile, Health MEC Sello Lehari said he is aware of the suspensions after the DDG informed him.
He, however, was not aware of the union's grievances.
“If they are charged now, I can’t interfere with the work of the administration. They have to go through the processes until the end, and then if they are cleared, they will return to work, and if they are dismissed, then they can appeal to me. But for now, because they are talking to the media and they are not talking to me, I will make time soon to visit Witrand to sort this out so that there can be stability there,” promised Lehari.
Mohlala accused the hospital’s management of failing to honour meeting requests and ignoring opportunities to account to workers.
“We’re going to call for an investigation into things that are not being done properly at that hospital…we have a problem with management, and we’re calling for the CEO to be removed. We won’t budge on that demand.”
The union has threatened to stop work at the facility if the suspensions are not immediately withdrawn and their grievances, including implementing the COVID-19 special leave days, go unattended.
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