Workers vow to shut down mortuaries
Unions: department engaging in bad faith
FORENSIC Pathology Service (FPS) workers, who have already crippled health services in KwaZulu-Natal through a “go-slow”, are now threatening a full-blown strike and total shutdown of all mortuaries across the province.
The workers have vowed to intensify their protest as they are angry with the department for “nullifying” a bargaining council agreement that is the basis of their go-slow.
The workers performing autopsies, have been on a go-slow for almost two weeks, leading to some families being unable to bury their loved ones. The issues they have highlighted are wages and working conditions.
“The unions held a meeting with the department on Friday and there was good progress made,” said one of the union leaders who declined to be named.
He said, however, that the department failed to inform the unions that on Thursday, it had sent a circular to employees withdrawing all written commitments it had made following a bargaining council agreement signed last year.
The letter said it was withdrawing all written communication to staff on human resource matters that are now being dealt with at national level.
“This rescission includes all payment-related letters on back pay and translations. All letters related to payments and translations by the KZN Department of Health to Forensic Pathology Service staff are withdrawn,” said the letter.
“The department failed to tell us about that letter and that has undermined the negotiations. It undermined us in front of the workers, who already accuse us of selling them out,” said the source.
He said the provincial department had power to address most of the concerns including the grading system of the workers, adding that other provinces had improved the grading of their FPS staff after the agreement was signed.
The source said the go-slow at the Park Rynie mortuary had led to the cancellation of about nine funerals this weekend. This could not be independently verified.
Cosatu provincial secretary, Edwin Mkhize, said they were in negotiations with the department and were expecting a written response within seven days. He said the department had been wrong to issue the letter.
“They engaged with us in bad faith. They cannot unilaterally withdraw a decision that was taken in the bargaining council. In our view, they need to withdraw that circular.”
Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said they had positive engagement with the unions, adding that they would quickly address some of the operational challenges, including the shortage of equipment and fixing air conditioners. He said they are meeting again in seven days to detail the progress made.