Cape Town - Hundreds of National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) members marched to Premier Alan Winde’s office calling for the provincial government to permanently absorb community healthcare workers (CHW) and lay counsellors into the public service.
The union on Friday said while some provinces had taken steps to comply with Resolution 1 of 2018 of the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC), the Western Cape was “dragging its feet”.
“Our CHW’s in the Western Cape continue to be exploited and underpaid by NGOs/NPO’s, despite calls for them to be integrated into public service,” NUPSAW said in a statement.
On December 14, 2016, the National Department of Health pronounced its commitment to integrate the CHW and drafted a policy framework to achieve that objective, the union explained.
“Our struggles and efforts resulted in the conclusion of the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council Resolution 1 of 2018 – Agreement on the Standardisation of Remuneration and Conditions of Services of Community Health Workers.
This agreement was signed by the Department of Health and representative trade unions.
“Despite this agreement, we note with great concern and dismay that, only our members herein the Western Cape who have not yet enjoyed even the smallest benefits they should be enjoying under Resolution 1 of 2018 while other provinces have successfully migrated and translated them into the persal system, currently receiving a stipend equivalent to current minimum wage.
On July 1, 2020 we witnessed the absorption of CHWs in Gauteng by the Gauteng Department of Health,” said NUPSAW.
Among others, they are calling for the absorption of all CHW’S and lay counsellors into the health department’s permanent staff complement on DPSA salary level 5 and for them to be paid out a stipend equivalent to the current minimum wage as an interim arrangement.
Winde’s spokesperson Regan Thaw said they had received the memorandum: “The DG has undertaken to reply by November 22.”
Provincial health department spokesperson Mark van der Heever added: “In the absence of a National Human Resource Plan for Community Healthcare Workers we continue to fund NPOs to provide the CHW service, and more.
We have raised this with the national department.” The National Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
Cape Times