The government should review the ”lavish and unnecessary privileges” public servants receive, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said on Monday.
This should be done in national, provincial and local government, as well as in public entities and state enterprises, it said in a statement after its central executive committee met on Friday.
Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga recently both spent over R1-million each on new official cars.
Nehawu said it would work with the government to fight corruption and nepotism in the public service.
”If any of our members are found to be in violation of the law within the public service, the authorities must take decisive and appropriate disciplinary action.”
It said the health system was in ”crisis” and that the government needed to deal swiftly with immediate challenges, especially in hospitals.
It supported Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s process of evaluating public hospital managers.
”In this regard, we demand that the report must be made public and the minister must act decisively on appointments that are irregular, especially where there are unsuitably appointed hospital managers with track records of mismanagement and incompetence.”
The union also reiterated its support for the proposed national health insurance scheme and called for the implementation of an ANC resolution, taken at the party’s elective conference in Polokwane, to create a state-owned pharmaceutical company.
Nehawu congratulated the SA Municipal Workers’ Union on the outcome of the recent strike.
An agreement to end the five-day strike by municipal workers was signed on Friday afternoon after the union and the SA Local Government Association settled on a 13% wage hike and a 20% increase for the lowest paid workers. – Sapa