S’Africa: Unions Threaten Strike Over Inadequate Covid tools

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:38 am

South Africas largest union coprising of Education, Health and Allied Workers known as NEHAWU have threatened to go on strike beginning from Monday August 24

According to the union, this is in response to the govts failure to offer adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) against the coronavirus.

“everybody is supposed to be taking the line of march from us in terms of PPE but we were ordered bikinis. If you were to be shown everybody took them back, and then the next batch that was ordered again was still substandard. It couldn’t even cover your nose or your face.” the union’s general Zola Saphetha told journalists at the National Health Laboratories Service, Johannesburg.

Nehawu’s membership base exceeds 240,000 people, making it the largest public sector union in the country.

“We feel our employer is failing us because the cost of living is high and everything has increased, but we are getting nothing.”, a worker said.

South Africa has highest COVID-19 infections on continent with over 364,000 cases and 5,000-plus deaths.

With a huge burden already on the nations health system, there are fears a strike of this nature could affect the countrys fight against coronavirus badly.

(AFP)