Media statement
Thursday, 28 April 2022
PRETORIA – The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) will be joining millions of workers in commemorating International Workers Day on 1 May to highlight the exploitation of workers and continuing attack on collective bargaining by employers, including the government as the biggest employer of nurses, and calls on all healthcare workers to join the May Day rallies that are planned by COSATU in their areas in seven provinces.
The Main Day Rally will be held at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, North-West, where COSATU President, Zingiswa Losi, will address the workers. The General Secretary of the SACP, Dr Blade Nzimande will also address the rally, as will ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa.
DENOSA President, Simon Hlungwani, will address the Northern Cape COSATU Rally, which will be held at the Eiland Resort Sports Grounds in Upington.
Gauteng province will join the main Rally at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Stadium in Rustenburg while six other provinces will be having rallies in different towns. KwaZulu-Natal has decided to donate the funds that were meant for hosting the rally to the relief efforts towards the victims of the recent floods.
In the recent past, the biggest attacker on collective bargaining, which are the rights that workers enjoy through the Labour Relations Act, has been the government itself. As we speak, the healthcare workers like nurses should have been paid their uniform allowance on 1 April 2022 as per Resolution 1 of 2005 at the Public Health Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Chamber (PHSDSBC).
The May Day Rally will also highlight the plight of exploitation in the workplace, due mainly to the austerity measures and the cutting down on personnel numbers and budgets for compensation of employees in various provinces, which have led to the deteriorating quality of services to communities and heavy workload for the few healthcare workers that are employed.
Thousands of nurses who have completed their studies, including community service, are sitting at home without any employment whereas their studies were funded by the government with the undertaking to employ them as soon as they complete their studies.
DENOSA calls on nurses to make their presence felt in the many rallies on the day and add their numbers in solidifying the voice of workers in defense of their hard-won rights.
An injury to one is an injury to all.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
Kwena Manamela, DENOSA Acting General Secretary.
Mobile: 082 328 9698
Simon Hlungwani, DENOSA President
Mobile: 082 328 9635
Tel: 012 343 2315
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
Instagram: Denosa_official
