SAMA TRADE UNION ON THE COMMUTED OVERTIME CHALLENGES AT CMJAH

The SAMA trade union leadership observed with keen interest the developments at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) of non payment of commuted overtime to Medical professionals and in particular Specialists. There has also been a wide-spread media report suggesting exodus of medical specialists at the CMJAH with emphasis to the Anaesthetists who allegedly left and with about twelve scheduled to leave at the end of May 2013 (see The Times' report).

The failure to pay Doctors' commuted overtime and the alterations of their contracts to reflect lowered categories of overtime without their consultation and negotiation is of great concern to SAMA as this will always pose as a threat of service disruption in any institution. We are however shocked by the resignations at the CMJAH given that SAMA met with the institutional and provincial department representatives on Monday, 06 May 2013, where an understanding was reached to the effect that this matter was meant to receive urgent attention and correction.

The department undertook to review and process all forms submitted to their human resources department and further ensured that affected members were contacted, through their relevant internal chains of communication and advised of the way forward.

We further wish to reiterate that the Provincial MEC for Health, Hon. Hope Papo would have assisted the situation a great deal should he have intervened earlier without degrading the issue as an operational matter that the hospital management should have dealt with on their own.

SAMA has always insisted that this was an important policy matter emanating from long standing agreements and that failure to adhere to such agreements posed serious threat to the provision of health care services at CMJAH and the broader Gauteng as well as other provinces such as the Free State and North West, who also refer their patients to Charlotte Maxeke.

SAMA remains confident that this matter can be resolved still, through constructive engagement with all stakeholders for the benefit of our patients and the nation.

Statement issued by Dr Phophi Ramathuba, Chairperson: SAMA Committee for Public Sector Doctors, May 8 2013

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