Health department contract workers are now permanent

Hundreds of contract workers have received permanent employment from the provincial department of health.

Health spokesman Siyanda Manana said the department had employed 227 contract workers “who were contractually appointed for a period of at least three months and above”.

This follows a report in the Saturday Dispatch in which 121 employees, promised permanent employment by the department from April 1, shared their frustrations.

A circular dated September 2 2015 stated the need to comply with the new Labour Relations Amendment Act announced last year, which makes it illegal for temporary or contract employment to last more than three months without a justifiable reason.

Contract workers said despite the circular, the department had not moved on making permanent appointments.

Yesterday Manana said the affected contract workers who had been absorbed were those whose contracts were extended until the end of March, appointed on level 7 and below.

He said they would keep their current positions unless placements were reconsidered.

“The appointment is in line with the Labour Relations Amendment Act introduced in April 2015 that brought changes in the way contract employees are appointed,” he said.

Meanwhile, further contracts have been given to Lilitha Nursing College students who wrote supplementary exams and passed.

The students had raised concerns when, after receiving their results in mid-February, contracts were still outstanding.

As of yesterday students employed by the department in line with the bursary agreement were given their contracts.

Manana said these were internships and were funded through a separate grant.

But yesterday, a crowd of community healthcare workers in the Buffalo City Metro sub-district whose contracts had been renewed, called their contracts “invalid”, invoking the Labour Relations Amendment Act.

The workers, who protested in East London, said they wanted better pay and permanent jobs. They were also confused as to why their contracts were linked to the department of public works when they worked for the health department.

Manana said community healthcare workers had been employed under the extended public works programme, which includes various departments, with community healthcare workers being the service programme funded in the health department.

Manana said there were conditions to the labour relations law and that not everyone fell into the stipulated absorption criteria.

He said these conditions would be explained to workers later this week.