DENOSA KZN warns hospitals’ managers against intimidating nurses who don’t wear uniform as part of protest action for non-payment of Uniform Allowance by the Department.

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in KwaZulu-Natal is disgusted by the ignorant attitude shown by some managers of hospitals in the province who are intimidating nurses who are DENOSA members and use all sorts of off-side tricks like threats of booking them leave without pay for not wearing the torn and worn out uniform.

This is part of DENOSA’s protest against non-payment of Uniform Allowance by the Department of Health in the province. The Allowance should have been paid on 1 April 2021.

The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of DENOSA took a decision that, from 17 May 2021, our members will no longer wear the torn and worn out uniform when reporting for duty, but they will wear their distinguishing devices and render their service to the best of their ability as they always do.

It must be noted that this is the bargaining chamber resolution as a Collective Agreement between labour unions such as DENOSA and government (DPSA). The department has never respected this resolution and always pays it way later after nurses have been made laughing stock for wearing worn out uniform.

“DENOSA is annoyed by the unbecoming behaviour of the employer to continously undermine the collective bargaining,” says DENOSA KZN Provincial Secretary, Mandla Shabangu.

“It is for this reason that our PEC took such a decision in the first place. It is very disappointing that, instead of the Department correcting their wrongful act, we have seen emails and other messages instructing certain managers to chase our members out of the facilities and to give them leave without pay when there is a formal communication between Denosa and Management at the Provincial Office.”

We demand that the department stop victimising our members, otherwise our members will not be reporting for duty since they will not be paid, and this will affect many healthcare facilities if managers continue to be ignorant of the labour laws.

DENOSA calls on all it members who are intimidated at work by managers for not wearing the worn out uniform, which lowers their dignity and respect as nurses, to report such to DENOSA KZN provincial office on 031 305 1417 immediately and DENOSA will call each manager out.

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Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in KwaZulu-Natal.

For more information, contact:

Mandla Shabangu, Provincial Secretary.

Mobile: 071 643 3369 / 072 553 1636