A group of nurses from Tshilidzini Hospital, affiliated to the Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU), picketed outside the hospital on Friday, 1 September, demanding that the hospital management fill the vacant posts at the hospital.
The workers urged for posts to be filled to ease the burden on nurses. The union reckons the new shift schedules are unrealistic and affect the nurses' socio-economic life as it leaves them with no free time with their families.
The union claims that the workers at Tshilidzini Hospital are expected to work such long hours every day that they suffer from work fatigue, burnout, and poor productivity. "This has led to poor patient care and is the reason why there are so many litigations against the department costing it (department) billions of rands," said Lerato Mthunzi, general secretary of HAITU.
The protest was supported by other unions, such as the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU), the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA), Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (HOSPERSA), South African Emergency Personnel's Union (SAEPO), and National Public Service Workers Union (NPSWU).
According to the Limpopo Department of Health, 480 nurses currently work at the hospital, and they will fill vacancies as the need arises, provided the budget allows it.
HAITU, however, claims a shortfall of 294 nurses exists. "We condemn the hospital management for failing to adequately employ suitably qualified staff to fill the vacancies at the hospital. This is why they are proposing these changes to the shifts, to cover for their failure to employ nurses to take care of sick patients. Limpopo has the worst reputation for service delivery in the country because the Health Department fails the community," said Mthunzi.
In the memorandum, the workers also demand that overtime for night shifts be reinstated and they be given back pay with immediate effect. They further demand that security officers stick to access control and security check duties, instead of making it their business to check whether employees arrive on time.
In response to this newspaper's enquiry, the department's spokesperson, Mr Neil Shikwambana, said they would respond to the union directly.