Denosa skeptical GP health will save nurses' jobs

Mandy Weiner speaks to the union’s provincial chairperson, Simphiwe Gada, on the latest response to the health department’s statement about missing salaries and retrenchment of nurses.

Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) has threatened mass protest action against the Gauteng Department of Health.

This comes after nurses have not been paid their salaries in months.

Mandy Weiner speaks to the union’s provincial chairperson, Simphiwe Gada on the latest response to the health department’s statement about missing salaries and the retrenchment of nurses.

Gada said a protest was now on the cards because initially, the department said it would clear outstanding salary payments by 30 June, instead, on 29 June the department approached the union stating budget constraints.

That is when we adopted a posture of saying that its high time we stop negotiating in the boardroom. We must let the citizens of Gauteng as well as the citizens of the country know that we have a department that hates nurses, we have a department that is exploiting young nurses who have just joined the profession.

Simphiwe Gada, provincial chairperson - Denosa

Meanwhile, the health department on Sunday, vowed to clear outstanding payments of more than 50 newly qualified nurses – adding that no nurse would lose their job.

Gada disputed the above, saying the department avoided confrontation with Denosa.

We will only believe it - that they are not intending to retrench - once all the nurses have signed their contracts of permanent employment.

Simphiwe Gada, provincial chairperson - Denosa

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