Africa-Press – South-Africa. The government has welcomed the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council’s call for all parties involved in the public service wage negotiations to return to the bargaining council to continue negotiations.
It comes after public servants affiliated with National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) continued their strike action despite a court interdict against them.
Nehawu and several other public sector trade unions have been locked in a wage dispute with the government.
In a Department of Public Service and Administration statement on Friday, the government welcomed the return to the bargaining council by unions that had initially opted to stay out of the ongoing negotiations.
“The government is concerned about protests that are currently ongoing in the country and are taking on a nature that is not reflective of defending democracy and human rights,” it said.
It added that the right to protest was guaranteed in the Constitution, but must be done within the confines of the law.
“Any deviation from the law, such as illegal protests, destruction of property, infringement of the rights of others, intimidation, violence, and damage to infrastructure, amongst others, are viewed as criminal activities.
“The government condemns the disruptive actions displayed yesterday and continuing today by some members of trade unions at some … government facilities around the country, which affected access to urgently required healthcare by citizens whose right to life and health is constitutional,” it stressed.
This week, protests took a harrowing turn after Nehawu-affiliated health workers targeted ambulances and blocked access to essential healthcare facilities.
The government reiterated that the principle of “no work, no pay” would apply to public servants participating in the strike.
It said:
“The government acknowledges the right of labour to raise their concerns. However, the infringement on the basic human right goes against the law and will not be tolerated,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Critical Care Society of Southern Africa also condemned the ongoing strike, saying it posed a severe threat to the lives of critically ill patients in intensive care.
“As healthcare professionals, we have a duty to prioritise patient safety and wellbeing. We therefore also call upon union leadership to immediately call off the strike action to prevent any further unnecessary suffering and death,” said the society’s president, Professor Fathima Paruk.
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