COSATU in the Eastern Cape is deeply concerned by the rising numbers of people retesting positive to COVID 19.

We support the calls made by our unions in the Health Sector, that provision of PPE to front line health workers must be a priority if we are to win the fight against COVID 19.

DENOSA, NEHAWU and SAEPU have on record raised the e inadequate provision of PPE which make the front line workers vulnerable to contacting COVID 19.

We must have learnt from a situation in KZN where hospital had to be closed because of a big number of medical staff testing positive to COVID 19 and we should not have the same experience and be added to statistics.

There must be enough supply of PPEs and no worker must be forced to work without the necessary protective gear. The Head of Department must ensure that all actions that are taken against workers during this time are suspended as per the agreement with the Minister 

There must be immediate establishment of Health and Safety Committees as prescribed in the Act in all health institutions, district offices and the Provincial Level. This is one of the decisions taken by unions with the Minister in the meeting held to deal with the intervention strategies to flatten the curve of the pandemic.

After 3 weeks of the Lockdown there should have been improvement on how the province manages the situation than when the Lockdown begun. We appeal for greater cooperation between the Department of Health as a leading department in Provincial Government’s response to COVID 19 and the unions operating in that space for better management of the pandemic.

We also call upon the Head of Department and the MEC to immediately intervene in all situations where there are sporadic actions on the challenges that are related to the management of the pandemic before they escalate to proportional levels that would not be easy to control in future.
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Leadership must be provide at all material times. The department cannot be caught off-guard. It must be in the state of combat readiness to fight COVID 19 with the support and cooperation from unions

COSATU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary
Mkhawuleli Maleki

072 897 7188