Twenty-five Sterkfontein Hospital employees that were dismissed for engaging in an unprotected strike have been called back to work.
The Gauteng department of health said the employees were reinstated after they reached an agreement about their concerns.
Acting health MEC Jacob Mamabolo said “the illegal strike carried out by the workers disrupted hospital services and ignored the lockdown rules which prohibited public gatherings.”
“The service disruption affected various areas of the hospital, including the usual multidisciplinary team’s morning visits to patients, which could not be undertaken as employees were locked outside the facility”.
He stated that reinstated employees filed an appeal with his office and also referred the matter to the bargaining council for arbitration.
He explained that the department and the union negotiated and it agreed the workers be reinstated.
“The doors of engagement will always be open. It is in our interest to listen to the concerns employees want to raise with the employer.”
“However, this must be done within the confines of labour relations provisions, especially considering that workers in health render what is called an essential service, and their work has a direct affect on the wellbeing of patients”.
