A memo from legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet announcing that the festive leave period for staff would be cut short by 10 days, caused an uproar in the corridors of Bhisho on Thursday.
Staff affiliated to the National Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) gate-crashed and disrupted four portfolio committee meetings in protest.
Union leaders said since the democratic dispensation, they have been guaranteed a month-long Christmas holiday.
The legislature schedule usually ends on December 14 and resumes on January 14 the following year.
However Kiviet sent out an e-mail last week, stating that workers will resume their duties on January 4.
Nehawu branch secretary Madoda Nkwali said the union was forced to address the issue in the manner it did because it wanted urgent attention.
He said the instruction to return to work on January 4 was against an earlier agreement between staff and the legislature.
“We engaged the legislature immediately after the letter telling the workers of the change in the leave, was circulated We got no joy and had no choice but to seek attention in the manner we did on Thursday,” said Nkwali.
In protest, the more than 270 union members downed tools on Thursday and disrupted the health, social development, sport and human settlements portfolio committee meetings.
The committees were meant to present their annual and financial reports.
Speaking for the legislature, Maria Herman said the demonstrations by the workers on Thursday were a result of a small misunderstanding between the legislature and staff which was later resolved.
“There was really no drama at the legislature, however, there was a misunderstanding between the legislature administration and the representative union, Nehawu, on the date of opening of the legislature in January 2019.”
Herman said work would now resume on January 14 and not January 4 as communicated in the speaker’s earlier e-mail...