Doctors in public facilities across the province are alarmed by a health department proposal to scrap fixed overtime.
If the proposal succeeds, doctors would have to claim for fixed overtime, which means take-home salaries would decrease.
The proposed policy change was communicated to doctors on February 7.
The policy, seen by the Daily Dispatch reads: “Payments for commuted overtime will be made upon submission of claims on a monthly basis that have been recommended by the Clinical Manager and approved by the CEO or District Manager.”
One of three Eastern Cape doctors who spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said fixed overtime, also known as commuted overtime, was 60 to 80 hours.
Each doctor is on call at least two week days a month, totalling 32 hours, and two weekends a month, totalling 48 hours.
He said over and above this doctors are at times second on call for overtime shifts. For this they are permitted to claim.
“What they are doing now is that they won’t give us fixed overtime with our salaries. Now we’d have to claim even for that.
“Our human resources systems are poor in these district hospitals and it will take us forever to get that money. People are already threatening to resign over this.
“It won’t motivate anyone to stay in government,” he said.
Another doctor said she was concerned about the lack of communication.
She understood, following an imbizo, that there was retaliation over the scrapping of fixed overtime and it had transpired that the document that was signed to this effect was null and void.
She said according to the policy February would be the last time that fixed overtime would be paid with their salaries.
Going forward they would have to claim at the start of a new month for the hours worked the previous month.
Another doctor said: “My problem is that when you are used to a certain income then you standardise your lifestyle according to that salary, and if they don’t pay it then you are screwed.”
Provincial health spokesman Siyanda Manana denied the scrapping of overtime.
“All commuted overtime is paid as per the contracts. Any overtime worked over and above that period has to be claimed for, with supporting documents.
“The National Department of Health will host a national teleconference to discuss this with all provinces, to get one standardised policy,” Manana said.
However, South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) provincial chairman Dr Simthandile Toni said: “As Samatu in the Eastern Cape we reject the implementation of the overtime policy as it is, because it was a unilateral decision with the stakeholders most affected not having been consulted.”
Toni said the provincial health department had opted to suspend the policy and appoint a task team made up of department and Samatu officials to resolve the matter. — vuyiswav@dispatch.co.za