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The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in Limpopo convened its last ordinary Provincial Executive Committee [PEC] meeting for 2019 on the 4th December 2019 in Polokwane, Limpopo. The PEC considered the international context, political and socio-economic situations including organisational assessment in particular matters affecting our members and the working class in the province.

This meeting was convened at an appropriate when the national union is preparing for its Central Executive Committee [CEC] meeting to be convened this coming weekend as well as the 4th Special Congress of the South African Communist Party [SACP] to be convened on the 9-12 December 2019. The PEC appreciated the importance of these two meetings in the strengthening and shaping of the working class struggle in our country and internationally.

The PEC congratulated our General Secretary, Cde Zola Saphetha, for being elected as the General Secretary of Trade Union International of Public Services and Allied [TUI-PS&A] which is affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions [WFTU]. The PEC wished him well in his new responsibility to service the millions of public service workers from 105 countries across all six inhabited continents. The PEC further congratulated Cde Jamela Mdzale who was elected as the Provincial Chairperson of Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU] Limpopo’s Young Workers Forum. NEHAWU in Limpopo wishes her and her collective well in their new responsibility of championing young people’s interest in our province.

The PEC further more appreciated the fact that the union managed to run all its regional congresses successfully. The success of all the regional congresses plays a huge role in ensuring that the union remain worker controlled and remains relevant to the workers struggle in all our regions.

The union remains steadfast in its position against the centralization of shortlisting and interviews currently underway in the Department of Health which has resulted in many irregularities which has resulted in many capable and qualified people being ignored and the appointments of those who belong in the inner circle of powers that be in the department. The union will further pursue all available avenues to ensure that the department adheres to its policies and also ensure that all the people of South Africa are given equal opportunities of employment by our government.

The PEC continues to demand that performance bonus of workers in the department of health be paid utilizing the total budget of R213 million which is the 1.5% of its annual remuneration budget as prescribed in the PMDS policy. We reject the paltry R43million which the department wants to force down our throats. The union is further angered by the attitude of the department towards organised labour wherein leaders of unions were removed military style by an army of security personnel out of the provincial head office. This clearly indicates the highest form of arrogance by the department and undermines trade unions in this province.

The union will not be intimidated to bow down to scare tactics by the department. All this proves the correctness of our assessment that the department is leaderless and the Premier must accede to our demand and remove Dr Phophi Ramathuba as the MEC of health. The union has further noted that post community service personnel are embarking on a march to the department of health in Limpopo on the 09/12/2019. The PEC have taken a decision to support that march in solidarity with the soon to be unemployed workers.

The union welcomes the appointment of more than 200 traffic officers on a full time basis by the Department of Transport in the province. The appointment of those traffic officers comes at a critical point when we are approaching the festive season which exposes our people to high traffic volumes which requires highly motivated traffic officers to assist in improving road safety.

Issued by NEHAWU