Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) workers are not on strike, the South African Municipal Worker’s Union (Samwu) said on Thursday, despite them failing to carry out their duties.
”No one is on strike as we speak,” spokesperson Dumisani Langa said.
He, however, conceded that workers failed to turn up for work because emergency services management did not implement a wage agreement it had apparently reached with the union last year.
A strike would be illegal as the City of Johannesburg was last Friday granted a Labour Court order to prevent industrial action.
The order also stated the union should not ”instigate, incite, intimidate, encourage or otherwise support” strike action by the workers.
”A strike is when we have a grievance … we just want the implementation of the agreement we had reached. Members want answers from management … there are workers who are not performing their task,” Langa said.
He said EMS management and the union had agreed on wage progression during a meeting last year, which was meant to be implemented from May 1 this year.
However, last month members were not paid according to this agreement.
They then met to ascertain why the agreement had not been implemented. Langa said workers were persuaded by the union to return to work, based on the understanding that union leadership would attempt to determine why the agreement was not implemented.
”We calmed the workers down and they agreed to go back to work on Friday … we have not been able to get any answers from management.
”Firstly, they tried to disprove that they agreed and they are running away to date,” he said.
Emergency personnel staged a protest on Tuesday and continued to stay away from work on Wednesday.
Private services such as Netcare 911 had noted an increase in the number of calls coming in during the strike.
Spokesperson Mark Stokoe said: ”Yes, we have noticed a difference, but we can’t say whether it is because of the strike or because the last few days have just seen more emergencies.
”We have not compiled any figures yet … our control room has been way too busy to do that.”
Johannesburg EMS management denied it had reached an agreement with Samwu on wage progression.
Spokesperson Percy Morokane said management had met Gauteng health minister Qedani Mahlangu to address the matter on Thursday morning, but declined to comment, saying he would issue a statement shortly.
Provincial health spokesperson Mandla Sidu also could not comment immediately.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance spokesperson on health in the province, Jack Bloom, has called on Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane to bring in the army’s medical corps to help. — Sapa