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DENOSA KZN implements Chamber decision due to non-payment of Uniform Allowance by KZN Department of Health
Media statement
Tuesday, 11 July 2017
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in KwaZulu-Natal commenced with its implementation of provincial bargaining chamber decision for nurses not to wear anything that resembles uniform from 10 July 2017 if the Department of Health in the province has not paid Uniform Allowance that it should have paid to nurses by 1 April already. Nurses will not wear any torn uniform until the Department pays Uniform Allowance.
DENOSA wrote a courtesy letter to the Department on 5 July, informing it of its intention not to wear ‘uniform’ if Uniform Allowance is not paid to nurses by 10 July 2017. By Friday 7 July, there was no sign of payment of Uniform Allowance.
The bargaining chamber in the province which met in June resolved that if the employer is not paying Uniform Allowance to nurses by the 9th of July 2017, no nurse must wear uniform when coming to work on 10 July 2017 until the Uniform Allowance is paid.
As organized labour we have taken this decision out of frustration by endless delays by the employer in paying the Uniform Allowance to nurses, which should have been paid on 1 April 2017 so that nurses could buy the uniform.
In our meeting with the employer in the chamber in February this year, we urged the employer to ensure that Uniform Allowance is paid timeously this time around, unlike the past four to five years where it was paid late. The employer committed to paying on time. But in our meeting in June 2017 when we wanted to find out what the cause of the delay was, the employer could not provide any reasons.
As per the resolution of the chamber, we have written a courtesy letter to the employer (attached here), informing it of our intention on 10 July 2017 if no Uniform Allowance is paid before 10 July 2017.
DENOSA says nurses are not done any favours by being paid Uniform Allowance – it’s not even enough to cover the so-called uniform even for one day.
If there is any intimidation directed at nurses, DENOSA members must please inform their DENOSA shop stewards as their union representatives immediately.
We say #NoUniformAllowance_NoUniform
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in KwaZulu-Natal
For more information, contact:
Mandla Shabangu, DENOSA KZN Provincial Organiser
Mobile: 072 151 5874
Tel: 031 305 1417
Website: www.denosa.org.za
