DENOSA Free State statement on non-payment of Uniform Allowance by provincial Health Department after November deadline.

Media statement.

Wednesday, 04 December 2024.

BLOEMFONTEIN – The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in Free State has reported the provincial Department of Health to the Director General of the National Department over its failure to heed his call for departments to honour the November 30 deadline in paying the uniform allowance to the nurses in the department of health.

Four days later, the Department has not paid the nurses the uniform allowance. The Uniform Allowance was supposed to be paid on 30 November, as it was done in other provinces, after the National Department of Health failed could not be ready to implement PHSDSBC Resolution 1 of 2023 to provide nurses with the uniform by 1 September 2024. It then committed to paying the nurses the Uniform Allowance by the 30^th of November 2024.

Before the 30^th of November 2024, DENOSA in the Free State reminded the Department of the approaching deadline to pay the nurses Uniform Allowance. But to our dismay, the 30^th of November came and passed, and there was no payment.

DENOSA in the province engaged the MEC of Health in the province to check as to what the issue was.  He was checking with his managers in the HR Division, who are well known for missing payment deadlines.

In view of the failure by the department to honour its own deadline, DENOSA in the province has resolved on the following steps:

1.       To inform the Director-General of the National Department of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, that the Department in the province did not carry out his orders to have the nurses paid by 30 November 2024.

2.       Due to the failure by the Department to pay the nurses the Uniform Allowance, DENOSA has given the Department until next week Thursday (12 December 2024) to have the money in the bank accounts of the nurses, or else they will no longer wear torn ‘uniform’ to work – they will report on duty in their casual clothing.

3.       DENOSA has initiated the Dispute Resolution Referral on the matter at the PHSDSBC.  

DENOSA still calls on the Department to do the right thing and respect the nursing personnel, and show respect for their profession. Cleanliness is key in nursing in terms of infection control measures. 

It is mind-boggling as to why a Department of Health would not recognize the importance of the nurses uniform as part of infection control measures.

End.

Issued by DENOSA in Free State.

For more information, contact:

Brian Motshabi, Provincial Secretary.

Mobile: 072 432 6119.

Thibogang Thole, Provincial Chairperson.

Mobile: 079 501 5508.

—

Sibongiseni Delihlazo