Forensics officers threaten more strikes
FORENSICS officers at Gauteng’s pathology labs have threatened to embark on further strikes if the Gauteng Department of Health does not meet their demands.
The workers, who halted their services last week over salaries and “muddled up” job descriptions, were forced to return to work after the department slapped them with a court interdict.
But the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) said its members were prepared to strike again if talks with the department failed.
“Two years ago, our members presented their grievances to the MEC (Qedani Mahlangu) but to this day nothing has changed,” said Khaya Xaba, Nehawu spokesman.
Xaba said workers were unhappy that the department expected them to conduct autopsies and eviscerations but they were not remunerated.
“We spoke to the MEC about salaries and were told she cannot approve increases because it does not fall within her juris- diction.
“However, we feel that this matter should be escalated to the various authorities.Therefore we will be meeting with our members to discuss a way forward.
“If these talks do not yield results, then we will have to strike again.”
The notion that attending doctors were doing “all the hard work” was incorrect, said a forensics officer who didn’t want to be identified.
“We cut up these bodies. We have to stitch them up and we’re required to drive to dangerous crime scenes late at night. I’m a woman and often an easy target,” she said.
Forensics of ficers had been asking the government to recognise their profession by registering them with the Health Professions Council but this had not happened, she pointed out.
Meanwhile, this week Mahlangu said forensic pathology services had resumed, adding that post-mortems on all outstanding cases were being fast-tracked.
While the officers had the right to strike, disruptions in service delivery were unacceptable, said Mahlangu.