"Court interdicts and lock outs cannot be the way we go about to talk when differing with each other" said MEC of Health and Social Development, Qedani Mahlangu as she expressed herself about the ongoing nurses and emergency services industrial disputes in the City of Jo'burg
The MEC met with MMC for Health, Councillor Matsidiso Mfikoe and MMC for Public Safety, Councillor Thomas Phakathi. They agreed on a number of interventions aimed at addressing the ongoing industrial actions. Paramount to these was an understanding that the concerns of workers must be objectively assessed. This will assist in identifying which of these were legitimate and must be addressed by the municipality and province as opposed to the ones that should be escalated to national government.
A team comprising senior officials from the City of Jo'burg and Gauteng Emergency Services has been set up to come up with proposals aimed at ending the disputes by Monday, 8 June 2009. Intentions are to engage the unions within the next week with a revised proposal. It is hoped that differences will subsequently be ironed out by the end of the same week. The MEC emphasised the need to acknowledge problems raised by labour where these are legitimate and not be unnecessarily defensive.
"In the end it is about quality and timeous service to our people. Getting caught up in wrangling that are in the in the end irrelevant is not the way this Government seeks to conduct its business. We must be able to state facts for what they are said the MEC "whilst owning up to our responsibilities, we must always be bold enough to accept our limitations and transparently put these to affected stakeholders. This should enable us, together, to find a way out. The exercise itself need not be acrimonious."
The MEC committed to contact the Chairperson of South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) for a briefing on developments and discussions on how different parties ought to conduct themselves within the process of seeking solutions. Amongst the issues of grave concern to her were reports about intimidation of staff and destruction to property. She insists that this would not be tolerated and that the law should take its course.
The MMCs were further encouraged to continue their dialogue with SAMWU.
For more inquiries contact:
Mandla Sidu
Cell: 083 602 6169
JP Louw
Cell: 082 7377227
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, Gauteng Provincial Government
4 June 2009
