Looting puts healthcare staff at risk of death

Some service providers’ looting has resulted in an inadequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line workers in the fight against the pandemic, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says.

Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla, reacting to the finding of its biggest public sector affiliate, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), of a shortage of PPE at health facilities countrywide that the union visited as part of a fact-finding mission into the situation of health workers on the ground, said: “The looting by some service providers has led to an inadequate supply of PPE and sometimes the poor quality of those available.

“Many of these so-called suppliers have no capacity, but are only third parties who play the role of a middleman. This has wasted money unnecessarily.

“The inflationary costs of PPE is sometimes caused by corruption.

“This has led to more money being spent to buy less PPE.”

Cosatu was alarmed at the results of the Nehawu site visits to check the working conditions of front-line workers and the level of government compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The Nehawu report identified a dangerous lack of PPE, chronic staff shortages, noncompliance with the Act, victimisation of workers and a dysfunctional district healthcare system.

It painted a dire picture of an overburdened and an illequipped workforce constantly victimised for speaking out.

“These heroes and heroines are being badly let down despite the assurances made by the government,” Pamla said.

“Cosatu encourages workers to exercise their legal right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions and all unions should work together to protect workers from victimisation.”

He cited a recent statement from Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi saying that “employees had the right to refuse to work if they had a reasonable belief the necessary precautions had not been put in place to prevent transmission of Covid-19”.

“Noncompliance and abuse of workers’ rights are the two biggest threats to the containment of the Covid-19 virus in the workplace and that the department of health is among the culprits is unforgivable.

“The department’s report shows 13 174 healthcare workers have been infected with Covid-19, while 107 workers have lost their lives.”