Nurses rural allowance is for eligible employees
The North West Department of Health wishes to clarify and update all nurses and stakeholders in the Province about payment of rural allowance. The department has noted the rise of concerns among some nurses in the Province, that they have not been paid rural allowance.
The department can confirm that all employees who qualify to receive rural allowance in the North West are paid according to the Public Health and Social Development Sector Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC) Resolution 2 of 2004. Any employee who feels that he or she qualify or is eligible to be paid the allowance and it is not paid accordingly, should approach the employer to address such a complaint. If the complaint is not resolved even after grievance procedure is followed, they may lodge a dispute to the bargaining council.
It is equally important to mention that the employees alleged to be eligible by labour are in fact not included in the collective agreement. Their unions have tabled an item to have them included. Those are the enrolled nurses, auxiliary nurses and all of those who are not professional nurses. This item is still being discussed at the bargaining council, so the department does not owe them any payment at the moment.
Payment of nurses’ rural allowance is a result of the collective agreement and there is no settlement to pay employees outside the collective agreement.
Those nurses who have not been paid rural allowance and feel aggrieved should allow the process to unfold, allow the discussion on the items brought before the bargaining council by their unions to proceed and wait for the outcome of those discussions.
The North West Department of Health is always looking out for the interests of the nurses’ workforce. Nurses are the backbone of the health system and must be duly compensated in line with the PHSDSBC Resolutions.
Inquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 082 929 9958
