Government failed to honour its promises at hospital - Union

The trade union representing striking security guards at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus says it is the Gauteng department of health and Sidas Security Guards who have failed to honour their promises‚ leading to the impasse at the facility.

Speaking to TimesLIVE on Wednesday‚ the Trade Union of Security Industry in South Africa (Tusisa) president Teboho Motloung said that September’s salaries to the guards were not paid on time.

“When we intervened as a union last month‚ payments were made very late. We then got a promise from Sidas that money would be paid. They honoured that promise. From that day we have been having continuous engagement with Sidas to make sure that come October‚ this problem does not happen again‚” said Motloung.

But the security guards were again not paid on their payday‚ October 17.

The union asked the guards to give their employer a grace period of just one day. But after the guards were not paid on October 18‚ the union decided that the guards should come to work as usual‚ but not engage in work until they were paid.

Tusisa represents the 167 security guards who work at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital‚ known colloquially as the new Natalspruit Hospital‚ which was opened in 2014.

A meeting was then held between the management of the hospital‚ the Gauteng department of health‚ Sidas Security Guards and Tusisa on October 19.

In the meeting‚ Motloung said‚ the department acknowledged that it had not paid the security company.

“The department asked that we give it 15 more days to sort out the payment‚ but the guards instructed us that this was too much for them‚” Motloung said.

“A deal was then struck with the department that the guards would receive their money after five days. We told the department that we accept the five days but we are still not going to work. Tuesday was the final day on which the guards were supposed to be paid‚ but that did not happen unfortunately. No one has contacted us to tell us what is happening‚” he added.

Motloung said the union planned to visit the Sidas offices in Johannesburg to disrupt the working day.

“We are going to drive people out their office. Those offices must be closed. They are paying thousands of rands on rent but they are unable to pay their guards. They have breached their contract more than once‚” Motloung said.

Meanwhile‚ the hospital is unguarded. Anyone can simply walk in and out without inspection. Angry hospital staff have chased away management‚ complaining that they have failed to provide a safe working environment.

The security guards are seated near the hospital’s car park‚ watching people come and go.