meeting with Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on nurses
"strike"
6 February 2007
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has just met with the leadership of
Cosatu in KZN with regard to the dismissals of nurses who had embarked on the
illegal strike since almost 22 January 2007. The department's delegation has
agreed on the proposal and requested by Cosatu that an urgent meeting be
convened by the department with all the recognised unions in the sector in
order to try and find a better approach to handle the situation.
Both the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) and
the Democratic Nurses Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) have already made
such a formal request to have such a meeting and the department is quite open
to listen to their concerns. The meeting is therefore scheduled for tomorrow, 7
February 2007.
The Department of Health highly appreciates the concern showed by Cosatu in
this regard, but still believes that its actions were and are still quite
correct and it was therefore left with no option but to take legal action. This
remains an essential service and as the department we have a moral and health
duty to the public and the society at large.
For more information please contact:
Mr Leon Mbangwa
Spokesperson, Department of Health
Cell: 083 459 8695
Zet Luzipo
Cosatu KZN Secretary
Cell: 072 884 3456
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
6 February 2007
