Maroela Media reports that in a letter addressed to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Monday, trade union Solidarity cautioned the department to comply with its statutory duty to place nurses for their community service year.  

It said that if the department failed to meet its obligations, then it should exempt nurses from their community service year.  This came after Solidarity received several complaints from candidate nurses who have not yet been placed.  According to Anton van der Bijl, head of Solidarity’s Centre for Fair Labour Practices, the fact that the placement process has become so dragged out was proof of the department’s incompetence to make the placements.  He stated:  “What is particularly disturbing is that this is the very department that has, on many an occasion, pointed out that it was experiencing skills shortages on the ground, yet the placement of qualified nurses is not their first priority.”  Van der Bijl also cautioned that should the department not heed Solidarity’s warning, the union would not hesitate to resort to litigation.

• Read this report in full in Afrikaans at Maroela Media
• Read Solidarity’s press statement in this regard at Solidarity online

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page