Doctors halt the strike

14 July  

South African Medical Association (SAMA) doctors have rejected the occupation dispensation (OSD) offer that was made to them by  Government  14 days ago.

This  followed  a poll held by SAMA in an attempt to determine its members’€™ response to the offer.

Results from the poll conducted via an online secret ballot have revealed that about  2261  (91%) out the 2484 members who voted have rejected the offer while only 223 accepted it.

SAMA and its members  have been  given 21 days to make a decision on government’€™s proposed offer. In an earlier statement  SAMA  said it welcomed  the option of taking the OSD matter to arbitration.

10 July

Doctors are waiting for results from the South African Medical Association (SAMA) voting poll that will serve as a deciding factor on the way forward for them.  

The poll was open selectively to SAMA members on Wednesday and will run until Monday 13 July.

9 July

Doctors have given government 21 days to respond to their demands regarding the Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) and their working conditions.  

They have vowed to go on another wild cat strike next week Friday if government doesn’€™t come up with an improved offer.

8 July

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has urged striking doctors to give the OSD negotiations a chance and appealed to government not to influence the public’€™s opinion.

In his statement General Secretary Eddie Makue, said the call is rooted in the group’€™s compassion and care for all people especially the poor vulnerable members of society.

“Life, health and well-being of millions of people are adversely affected by the ongoing strike,” he said.

“Many pregnant women are unable to access the care and support that will contribute towards demonstrating how we value the gift of life by caring for unborn children”.

Makue expressed the group’€™s concern over the country’€™s ailing health system. He called upon government to urgently address it.

 ‘€œOur national health system is sick and demands urgent attention from the government’€, he said. -Sapa

6 July

The South African Medical Association issued a statement conveying its position on the occupation specific dispensation (OSD) negotiations. The organisation presented government’€™s offer to its members.

In the statement Prof Denise White, Chairman of SAMA revealed that an informal poll they held showed that doctors country wide are dissatisfied with and have rejected the OSD proposal.

‘€œOn scrutiny of the details of the offer it is evident that there are inadequacies and inequities which will impact negatively on some of our doctor cadres.    Inter alia, the low percentage increases for the medical officer and specialist categories are extremely disappointing and unsatisfactory’€, she said on the statement.

SAMA is going to follow up with a formal voting process via a secret ballot that will determine whether its member will accept or reject the offer.

She added that the structure welcomes the option of taking the matter to arbitration.  

3 July

Disgruntled doctors across the country including those in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape have ended their industrial action and returned to work today.

However they have expressed dissatisfaction with the offer that resulted from the bargaining chamber.

They stated that they are postponing the strike while giving the South African Medical Association (SAMA) two weeks to convince government to meet their demands. The doctors still assert that government needs to apply a 50% increment to all medical professionals.

2 July

Pharmacists and Pharmacists assistant have expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in the implementation of OSD for pharmacists.  

Thanushya Pillaye, Vice President of the South African Association of Hospital and Institutional Pharmacists (SAAHIP) said that the patience of many pharmacy personnel is running out and that government might lose some of them to the private sector.  

‘€œThe  atmosphere at many hospitals suggests that a large percentage of the pharmacists currently employed by the Department of Health will seek employment in the private sector or overseas, both of which offer better working conditions.  The long-term repercussions of this would be far worse than merely striking or withholding services,’€ she said.

2 July

The Committee of Medical Deans has issued a statement expressing concern over the effects the doctors’€™ strike has had on patients and individuals who are mostly dependent on public health care.

The committee stated that universities are concerned that clinical services to patients as well the training of medical students will be compromised if the current crisis in the health care sector is not attended to. It has called for doctors to return to work and reconsider the offer put across by Government.

It appealed to Health Minister Dr Motsoaledi to facilitate the reinstatement of doctors who were fired for taking part in the strike and for government to fully implement the OSD resolutions reached at the bargaining chamber.

2 July

The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) called for the reinstatement of those dismissed after many provincial health departments were granted court interdicts compelling workers to return to work. Those who failed to comply with the order faced disciplinary action or dismissal.

2 July

Western Cape doctors vow to continue with their industrial action after being ordered by cabinet to return to their working posts.

Bradley Brits an intern doctor  in Cape Town said the decision to strike was to  show  solidarity  and support to their KwaZulu Natal counterparts who have been fired for taking part in an illegal industrial action and will not return to work until they are reinstated.

‘€œWe will continue to strike and provide only emergency services in hospitals until the fired doctors are reinstated’€, he said.

Brits said Western Cape doctors will hold a meeting tomorrow where they will decide whether to accept the latest offer.

2 July

Cape Town Archbishop Thabo Makgoba condemned striking doctors for depriving “the poorest of the poor” of health care, but also called on the government to expedite talks to meet doctors’ needs.

He said in a statement:

‘€œThe strike is a sad state of affairs, as it once again hits the poorest of the poor. Those who have the means can go to private doctors, but the poor will go without care and some will die.

‘€œWhilst we uphold the sanctity of life, and condemn illegal strikes in essential services, we also urge the relevant government bargaining chamber to expedite the doctors’ needs.

‘€œWe also want to ask the health department to tell us what the effects of the strike are on the infant mortality rate. Are more babies dying as a result of this standoff?’€

2 July

Government has released a statement calling on all medical professionals who are still on strike to return to work and resume their duties with immediate effect.

Cabinet said in a statement that the doctors and other health professionals could return work ‘€œwith the knowledge that Government has listened, understands their plight and that conditions in our public health facilities will improve with time’€.

‘€œAs we work together to address the challenges, we all have the responsibility to ensure that our citizens do not end up being deprived of their constitutional rights to quality health care,’€ Cabinet said in a statement.

The ministers also welcomed the news that some progress has been made in the negotiations with the unions regarding the Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) for the medical sector.

‘€œThe labour dispute is doing considerable harm, adding more strain to an already strained public health sector and in the process, depriving ordinary South Africans access to desperately needed health care.

‘€œGovernment acknowledges the challenges regarding the working conditions of our medical professionals. Government would like to reiterate that the salary level of doctors is not in dispute and we acknowledge that the working conditions of our doctors need to be addressed.

‘€œOur offer demonstrates willingness to begin the process of addressing the low salary levels. Government believes that a lot of work still needs to be done to improve the pay issues as well as the broader challenges regarding the provision of access to quality health care to the majority of South Africans. That is why we have identified health care as one of the key priorities of the new government as stated in the electoral mandate.

‘€œGovernment will continue to work tirelessly, in partnership with the representatives of the medical staff, to ensure that the working conditions in our public institutions are improved over time as these facilities provide essential services to South Africans, especially those who cannot afford private health care,’€ Cabinet said.

2 July

Western Cape doctors have been asked to scrutinise the latest documents from the Bargaining Chamber.

The documents can be found at  www.transmedx.co.za

2 July

KwaZulu-Natal doctors say that the University of KwaZulu-Natal heads of department have formally gone on record to fully support all fired workers and not return to work if all doctors are not reinstated.

‘€œAn injury to one is an injury to all, the provinces around KwaZulu-Natal have pledged their support and so has the province. Today Stanger joined your Durban protest to show that the firing of doctors will not be tolerated.

‘€œPrivate doctors have come out in support, doctors that have not been fired have stood with their fellow doctors to show support,’€ the KZN doctors said.

1 July

Deputy health minister Dr Molefi Sefularo meets with striking doctors at Groote Schuur Hospital.

1 July

THE Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (Rudasa) called on its members who joined the strike over pay to return to work because the primary healthcare system was under strain.

 Dr Elma de Vries, spokeswoman of Rudasa, said doctors had succeeded in raising the wage issue, but now it was time to refocus on the interests of poor rural patients.

‘€œOur health system in rural areas is always strained and the strike made it worse. Most rural patients cannot afford private healthcare; they are mostly disadvantaged,’€ she said.

De Vries said the association was not impressed with the government’€™s pay increase offer,  but   understood there was a very limited budget to satisfy everyone.

 ‘€œIt seems to me that doctors are not familiar with labour issues. If you decide to embark on a strike, there should be a dispute being declared, but in this strike there was none,’€ De Vries said.

30 June  

The bargaining chamber negotiations have reached a conclusion after unions were told to present government’€™s offer to their members. Doctors were been given until Friday, 3 July to make a decision.

28 June

Western Cape doctors joined the strike saying they are not satisfied with the offer by the Health Minister.

28 June

KZN health department has been granted a court order to dismiss doctors for taking part in an unprotected strike.25 June

Western Cape doctors held their first meeting to discuss whether or not to join the ongoing strike

23 June

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi released an offer to doctors at a media briefing while the bargaining chamber is still in session.

22 June

Doctors embarked on a national strike in which doctors across the country took to the streets and downed tools in the hope of fast tracking government’€™s response to their grievances. Doctors in the Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo took part in the strike.

21 June  

Doctors in Mpumalanga hospitals joined the strike.

17 June

KwaZulu Natal doctors started mobilising a massive strike to shut down all services in hospitals throughout the country.

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