NEHAWU CALLS OFF THE STRIKE AT NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICE [NHLS] AFTER SIGNING THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
Friday August 04, 2017
Yesterday, the 3rd of August 2017, the National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] signed a settlement agreement with the National Health Laboratory Service [NHLS] after lengthy and difficult negotiations. As such we have officially called off the strike which lasted more than four days.
The settlement is a victory for workers in that parties agreed to a salary increase of 7.3% effective from 1 April 2017 for employees of grade A-D1. On Proficiency, progression and insourcing the Parties agreed that the proficiency assessment-evaluation for eligible technicians, technologists and scientists at A-D1 will be completed by the 31 October 2017.
The insourcing of the three services namely; gardening, cleaning and security services shall be phased in effective 1st September 2017. Parties also agreed that three days paternity leave will be given per annum independent of family responsibility leave effective August 2017. Shop Stewards who are recognised by NHLS in terms of the recognition agreement their leave will be increased to ten days per annum effective August 2017.
Parties also agreed to review the current NHLS rural allowance criteria to include or remove places which may have been inconsistently included and/or excluded, to bring about fairness to the application of the rural allowance benefits.
Another victory for workers is that the employer has agreed to increase the employers’ medical aid subsidy of employees on A-C bands from 74.6% to 75% backdated to 1st April 2017. A 5% adjustment of the Medical Aid cap shall be effected, with the new set at R2639.17, backdated to 1st April 2017.
As NEHAWU, we are happy with the results of the strike and once again would like to applaud our members for remaining resolute and militant when faced with the daunting task of struggling for what is due to them. This strike should serve as a lesson to workers in other sectors that through unity and militancy workers can overcome and be victorious against unyielding and inflexible employers.
The national union will intensify the call for the NHLS to be re-integrated into the public service. This is a fight we are not willing to lose and we will pursue until the very end. As a revolutionary union, NEHAWU will continue to champion the needs and aspirations of workers. Workers can at all material times be guaranteed of a giant union that will always take up their struggles.
Statement issued by NEHAWU, 5 August 2017
