The forum representing doctors disgruntled by the implementation of the Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD) walked out of a meeting with the South African Medical Association (Sama) in Pretoria on Wednesday after talks broke down.
”We walked out because of irreconcilable differences with the SA Medical Association. The breakdown in talks is based on principle so we’ve decided to go at it alone as we no longer recognise them as our representatives,” said the forum’s spokesperson Dr Ratitse Malatji.
They no longer trusted the association as it no longer represented the interests of the doctors.
Doctors started picketing last Friday to show their frustration at government’s offer tabled at the bargaining council, currently standing between 0,28% and 2%.
They instead wanted nothing less than 70% which was how much they were underpaid, said Malatji.
”I’m even underpaid more than that,” he said.
The forum had deployed two of its members from the public service division to overlook and sit in meetings with Sama but their views were undermined, said Malatji.
”The process is flawed. We are not going to recognise anything that comes out of that process unless an agreement satisfies our members.”
He said they would, within a week, as a legally recognised structure handle their own negotiations.
”Government must expect a knock on the door very soon because we’ll be tabling our members concerns as a legally recognised structure.”
Malatji said their interests would be to ensure that doctors were employed in a safe environment, unlike Sama who constantly changed agreements made on principle and wanted to be seen as heroes.
He added that the forum wanted to render services for poor people in a conducive environment.
”How can you board a flight when the pilot has not slept for 30 hours? … But a patient is expected to be attended to by a doctor who hasn’t slept for 30 hours,” said Malatji.
Meanwhile, doctors continued their lunchtime protests in major hospitals around the country.
Among them were Chris Hani Baragwanath, Helen Joseph, Coronation, George Mokhari and others in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, said Malatji.
”We will also employ other strategies in our picketing …we will beef it up.”
A full-blown strike was also eminent. However, Malatji said they would first regroup and get their house in order before then.
This would be the second strike by doctors to hit the country this year.
Last month, doctors resumed work after embarking on a three-week strike over the delay of the OSD, which led to the health department issuing letters of dismissal.
The letters were replaced with final written warnings after an agreement was reached between all sides, which saw doctors agree to recommit themselves to the negotiation process and return to work.
Dentists, pharmacists and emergency medical personnel who were all still awaiting their OSD, have also indicated that they wish to join the lunch-time pickets, said a medical intern who works at the Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa hospitals.
He said the aim of the protest was to make government understand just how unhappy doctors were and also to let the public know that they were not being taken seriously.
Malatji said an intern earned R7 000, a Junior R11 000, a senior not less than R16 000, while a principal doctor earned around R22 000. — Sapa