Act or we strike, warn employees

MEN AND women clad in red marched down Fox Street yesterday, peacefully singing Struggle songs and chanting the name of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).

About 300 Gauteng Department of Social Development employees marched under public service union Nehawu in the Joburg CBD.

Alleged sexual harassment, nepotism, wage disputes and intimidation were some of the issues employees complained about.

“How are we supposed to help the community when we don’t have secure or healthy working conditions? We are here to put a stop to this,” said a social worker.

Protesters held signs that read “Intimidation is not management” and “No to sexual harassment” as they danced through the streets towards the Gauteng premier’s office.

Nehawu provincial secretary Tshepo Mokheranyana said employees were marching for the removal of two officials – one of them senior – who had been involved in alleged sexual harassment issues.

“Both have been intimidating workers, and this is unacceptable. (The senior official) has been covering up for an official who has been sexually harassing workers.”

Mokheranyana said there were also issues of intimidation and unfair working conditions. Also, there was only one car to five or six social workers, which made it difficult to do their jobs.

A Nehawu official said employees had been complaining about the issues for the past year, to no avail.

“We even marched last year this time, and now we are appealing to the premier to hear our demands, deal with this properly and remove (name withheld) and the official.”

“We are tired,” said an employee, who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s enough, we need change. We cannot continue to allow our women to be treated badly in this department. They cannot be expected to get jobs for sex.”

A memorandum was handed to Mxolisi Xayiya, the special adviser to Premier David Makhura, because Makhura was unavailable to take the memorandum.

The secretary of Nehawu in Joburg, Gracia Rikhotso, read out the memorandum’s demands and added that the premier had seven days to act, or else there would be a strike.

Xayiya praised the crowd for their “youthfulness”.

He said he preferred to discuss these matters, as opposed to being approached through a march.

“We want to avoid confusion and get the facts right with leaders.”

He assured the crowd that the premier’s office would soon be meeting the leaders to deal with the issues and allegations.

The Department of Social Development could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.