Some 300 community health workers marched to Premier Alan Winde’s office in Cape Town last week to demand they be in-sourced by the Western Cape Department of Health and placed on permanent salaries.
The march was led by the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW), with Sbonile Jeza, national organiser, saying they wanted to be “absorbed into public service” and placed on salary level five, reports Vincent Lali for GroundUp.
Jeza said community health workers still work for NGOs in the Western Cape while in Gauteng, many are employed on salary level two, which is the same as cleaners without specialised skills. “We want them to be moved to salary level five as well. Community health workers must be treated as professionals because of their experience.”
Khanyisa Bunyonyo, Cape Metro chairperson of NUPSAW, said workers also wanted a danger allowance.
South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the Gauteng Government has already in-sourced more than 9 000 community health workers as a result of their protests and marches, and that the Western Cape Government “shouldn’t be the only province that doesn’t recognise community health workers”.
Director-general of the Western Cape Government Harry Malila accepted the group’s memo on Winde’s behalf and promised to respond.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Failed bid to have 47,000 community health workers made permanent employees
Year of the Healthcare Worker: Community health workers must be better supported in 2021
Khayelitsha community health workers picket for COVID-19 danger pay and permanent jobs