The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] stands in solidarity with its members and workers working for the African National Congress (ANC), as they continue to fight for improved conditions of service and salary payments.
On the 15th June 2021, our members and workers of the ANC across the country convened picket demonstrations to highlight their plight as a result of the failure by the ANC to pay salaries on time, non-contribution/payment to the Provident Fund for the last 34 months resulting in a 75 million rand deficit and lastly the failure to engage the national union in these matters which by the way includes the contribution to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) for years now.
The ANC made an undertaking to address the demands contained in the memorandum of demands which included amongst others the following:
· Outstanding salaries must be paid with immediate effect
· All contributions owed to the provident fund and UIF must also be paid by no later than the 30th July 2021
· The employer (ANC) must never withdraw the medical aid benefit again and that any reviewal must be consulted with employees first.
· All employees who have been with the organisation for more than 18 months to be deemed to be permanently employed.
As NEHAWU, we want to register our shock and dismay that three (3) months down the line, and even after our nationwide pickets, the ANC continues to show total disregard to the plight of our members and workers by not paying them their salaries, contributing to the provident and UIF and other benefits.
As NEHAWU, we find it totally unacceptable in how the ANC has treated these workers. How does the ANC expect these workers and their families to survive during these tough economic times that have brought economic hardship to all workers? The late payment of salaries has resulted in these workers being on the verge of losing all that they have worked for, they face a stark reality of banks/financial institutions repossessing their cars, homes, etc. as a result of defaulting on payments brought about by the failure to pay salaries on time by the ANC.
The national union [NEHAWU] has since advised the employer that we will be embarking in litigation processes for our members and workers to get their monies.
As NEHAWU, we call on the African National Congress to immediately pay workers their salaries, contribute and payment to the Provident Fund and also to contribute to their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
Lastly, we call on our members, workers and society in general to support and stand in solidarity with the workers of the African National Congress as they fight for improved conditions of service. An Injury to one is an Injury to All.
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Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968; December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969; Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU Acting National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za