HOSPERSA  -  HEALTH AND OTHER SERVICE PERSONNEL TRADE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

2 June 2010. Members of the trade union Hospersa started their strike action at Netcare Hospitals at 7 am this morning. Operating theatres at Netcare hospitals in KZN are affected by these actions. Hospersa is demanding a wage increase of 12 percent backdated from March, while Netcare has offered 8.25 percent. Staff at these hospitals are also subsidizing their own uniforms and Hospersa has asked management to abolish the system. “Hospersa has been picketing since last week and was hoping that Netcare, as a considerate employer, would come to the table to talk to us so that we could finalise the dispute” says Noel Desfontaines, “If Netcare really cares for their patients they could have averted the strike instead of unfairly blaming the nurses for not attending to the operating theatres”, Desfontaines continues. “Hospersa was clear on its intentions to further last week’s picketing into a full blown strike, should Netcare not come to the table to finalise the dispute. However, management chose not to take it seriously“. The affected hospitals are: Gauteng Province, N17 Hospital, KwaZulu/Natal: St. Augustine’s, Parklands, Umhlanga and Alberlito hospitals Eastern Cape: Kyler and Greenacres hospitals Free State: Pelenomi and Kroonstad hospitals North West: Ferncrest Hospital ___________________________________________________________END OF PRESS RELEASE For more information: Noel Desfontaines, General Secretary, Cell : 083 321 4427 Johnny Harinarain Private Sector Co-ordinator and Co-ordinator for strike action: Cell: 083 6615135