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The National Health Education & Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the North West Province is both disgusted and disappointed by the arrogance displayed by the Department of Local Government and Human Settlements by refusing to address issues raised by NEHAWU since 2009.

NEHAWU at the workplace level has been engaging the Department since 2009 and entered into agreements around issues that were raised by the union but there has not been any implementation by the Management to date.

Workers at the Department have raised the following issues since 2009 to date without any success:

Full implementation of the PSCBC’s Resolution 3 of 2009;

• Implementation of the Code of Good Practice of the Employment Equity Act, 54 of 1998 on Equal Pay for work of Equal Value for workers in the Subsidy Administration and Claims unit(s);
• Payment of PMDS due to workers dated back to 2014;
• The report on the shooting incident that took place in the Department on 15th May 2014;
• Re-instatement of Ms Lillian Motlhabi in line with the outcomes of the disciplinary hearing against her which took place in 2013; and
• Insourcing of the Security Services back into the Department.

The response of the management to the above issues has been nothing but disgusting and disappointing in that every time the union requests for a meeting with management, the management has something else which is ‘important’ to attend to.  This is a clear message to workers in the Department that their issues are not important to the management.

We have workers in levels 5 to 9 doing equal work of equal value yet there are salary disparities.  Assessments as per the PMDS policy have been concluded since 2014 yet the HoD, Mr Phihadu Motoko refuses to sign them off for payment without providing any reason(s) for his refusal.

Ms Lillian Motlhabi was taken through a disciplinary process in 2013 and received an award that she must be re-instated with the same terms and conditions.  In displaying another form of arrogance by the management the said worker was re-employed and unilaterally transferred to another unit where she does not have a supervisor or manager to report to nor does she have a job description or working tools.

On Tuesday, 06 June 2017 workers at the Department decided that enough is enough and they would initiate a sit-in at the Head Office as from Thursday, 08 June 2017 until such time that the HoD agrees to address them on the above mentioned issues.

As NEHAWU in the North West Province we are in full support of our members at the Department of Local Government and Human Settlements.  We are calling on the HoD and his Management to address issues raised by our members with immediate effect as these are long overdue and might affect production negatively.

We also want to call on the Management of the Department of Local Government and Human Settlements not to be enticed to resort to intimidating our members as this will only serve to inspire our members and workers in the Department escalate the planned sit-in into a full-blown strike.

Issued by NEHAWU