Nurses feel undervalued, says Nehawu
NURSES remain undervalued – this was the key message at a National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) event at the Somerset Hospital yesterday.
Nehawu held a belated International Nurses Day celebration.
This year the day is commemorated under the theme, Nurses A Voice to Lead – Health is a Human right.
Nehawu president Mzwandile Makwalina used the opportunity to shift the focus on nurses that continue to feel undervalued.
“Do not fool yourself by this profession we are well aware of the kind of challenges you face in this field and as a union we stand by you,” Makwalina said.
Nehawu couldn’t celebrate International Nurses Day last month as it was holding its congress. To mark the event, yesterday it hosted a special event and gave nurses food packs and T-shirts.
Makwalina said that despite the health sector facing challenges, nurses remained resilient in their work.
“We commend nurses across the country for doing what they love. As a union we know that they do not want to be involved in politics; that’s why they elected us to be their voice and that is what we will continue to do,” he said.
Siyanda Kwezi, a nurse who lives in Paarl, said that nurses today faced too many challenges which made it difficult for them to work.
“The kind of conditions nurses work under are very challenging because it’s not safe… if you get injured at work you won’t get paid,” Kwezi said.
Another nurse Karabo Matla said they were not acknowledged for their work. “People don’t value nurses and it’s difficult because they don’t understand the circumstances we work under, tough and long hours,” she said.
Today Cosatu unions in the public sector under the Joint Mandating Committee representing the SA Democratic Teachers Union, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, Nehawu, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, Public and Allied Workers Union of SA, and the South African Medical Association were expected to brief the media on the status of the public wage negotiations.