GroundUp reports that about 80 community healthcare workers marched to the Western Cape provincial legislature on Thursday demanding to be integrated as public servants in the Department of Health.  

Represented by the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw), the workers demanded integration as public servants at salary level 3 with all the normal conditions of employment.  They want danger allowances‚ R250 a month for airtime‚ and transport to health facilities and home visits.  They also asked for the department to provide accredited training in order for them to be registered with the SA Nursing Council.  Community healthcare workers are primarily responsible for home visits to make sure that vulnerable people such as the frail and sick are getting adequate care.  The workers are currently paid stipends by the Department of Health (sometimes via NGOs), but the government does not recognise them as public servants.  The campaign to have the workers recognised as public servants started two years ago.  A provincial spokesman said he would forward the memorandum to the relevant structures and respond within the given deadline.  Nupsaw has given the department until 10 May to respond.

• Read this report by Thembela Ntongana in full at GroundUp

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page