Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital staff picket over 'unfair treatment'

Health workers at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Academic Hospital staged a picket on Friday and accused the nursing manager of treating staff unfairly.

Nehawu’s regional secretary Prince Mthalane said the protest had been fuelled by the health department’s alleged failure to take heed of their grievances which date as far back as 2020. 

“The department had launched an investigation ... until today we still do not know what is the outcome,” said Mthalane. 

Presenting a memorandum to the department, the union said its members were unhappy with the employment performance system, which they say favours management instead of nurses. 

“When it comes to the workers who are in the lower rung, excuses such as documents being lost come to the fore.”

Mthalane accused the nursing manager, Nomusa Mkhize, of failing in her duty for not supervising the process.

“It is our understanding that before the department can go outside and look for its personnel, they should first look inside the institution for suitably qualified individuals,” he said. 

Mthalane said the more than 16 nursing management posts were "external", a move deemed to be against the upward mobility of the nursing staff.

“We believe that this is oppressive.”

Mthalane said the nurses were also opposed to the system of clocking in and out, which requires them to fill in multiple time and attendance records before they start work.

A health department official accepted the memorandum. The department was not immediately available for comment.

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