Workers call for Soweto hospital CEO's head

Health worker unions on Friday joined forces to call for immediate action against the CEO of Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, Johana More, whom they accuse of making unilateral decisions that undermine the rights of workers.

The hospital, the biggest in the southern hemisphere, has recently been plagued by problems such as intermittent power outages, which have led to a backlog in surgeries, as well as a labour revolt against the institution of workplace forums, which unions regard as a tactic to subvert their influence.

Four unions including the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union Nehawu (Nehawu), the National Public Service Workers Union (NPSWU), the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) and the Democratic Nursing Union of South Africa (Denosa) picketed at the hospital premises today.

“We are saying to this woman she must engage us or we will call for her dismissal—she can’t run this place how she wants to—she must change or leave,” Nehawu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla told the Mail & Guardian.

Pamla said the workplace forums introduced by the hospital has led to union representation being undermined.

“They choose these people and then they undermine unions and [as such] undermine workers’ rights,” Pamla said.

Hospital workers were also furious about the closing of a kitchen in the maternity ward, and the opening of spaza shops in its place.

“They are busy outsourcing everything and we are not consulted about it,” Moses Mphahlele from Hospersa told the M&G.

The protesters handed over a memorandum of demands, calling for the disbanding of all workplace forums, the re-opening of the maternity ward kitchen and union consultation in high-level decisions made by hospital administrators.

Management at the hospital will have 14 days to respond to the memorandum, after which unions “have not ruled out” full-blown industrial action should their demands not be met.