Celebrating 27 years of uniting nurses

DENOSA statement post- its NEC meeting!

Media statement.

Friday, 28 June 2024.

PRETORIA – Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting between 24 and 27 June 2024 at its Head Offices in Pretoria, which took stock of the first six months of the year and made an assessment on political, organizational and socio-economic issues.

ON NURSES UNIFORM:

The NEC made an assessment on the state of readiness of the government to provide the nurses in the public sector with the full nurses uniform by the new deadline of 1 September 2024 that it had committed itself to meet.

Once again, by the look of things, the National Department of Health has not yet concluded agreements with the service providers with the exception of one province, Mpumalanga.

While Mpumalanga has concluded the appointment of service providers, the key issues that DENOSA had raised as essential to the provision of uniform, like centralization, quality, corruption, and uniformity which all talk to professionalism and respect for nursing, are not likely to be met even in Mpumalanga, as the province has further decentralized the provision to various district service provider.

DENOSA is calling for the implementation of the resolution on providing nurses with full uniform. The implementation of the resolution was postponed from 1 October 2023 to 1 September 2024. However, there is still no progress nor indication that the department will deliver this time around. We are still in the same situation as we were in June 2023.

DENOSA is concerned that, despite Mpumalanga having concluded the appointment of service providers, there had been no consultation with labour in the bargaining chamber on the specifications of the new uniform and it looks like other provinces may have to benchmark on Mpumalanga.

For instance, the quality of the material is poor although the costs per item are ridiculously expensive. Items like:

– Female court shoes costs R2875;

– Leather belt: R694;

– Male long pant: R1, 038;

– Unisex jacket: R950;

– Female tunic style pleated dress: R781;

DENOSA is concerned that corruption may creep in these decentralized procurements, because nurses got around R3000 as uniform allowance. Even if they were to buy these on their own for one reason or the other, the costs have become exorbitant while quality is extremely poor as some items are see-through and of very cheap material.

DENOSA is demanding the restoration of the dignity and image of nursing in South Africa. We are demanding the same treatment as emergency personnel, police, correctional services and soldiers. The nurses spend a lot of money which they don’t have on buying the expensive uniform that should have been ordinarily supplied by the department of health. Failure to adhere to the implementation deadline, we will reserve our right to enforce the employer.

DENOSA still calls for centralization of the procurement so that corruption could be curbed.

Furthermore, DENOSA urges the National Department of Health to give an update on the process at bargaining chamber.

DENOSA will make means to engage the department further.

END.

Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA).

For more information and interview requests, contact:

Sibongiseni Delihlazo, DENOSA Spokesperson.

Mobile: 072 584 4175.

Land Line: 012 343 2315.

Website: www.denosa.org.za

Facebook: DENOSA National Page.

X: @DENOSAORG.

Instagram: Denosa_official.ReplyReply allForward

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