Durban — Health workers contracted to the Mbekani Group, a company sterilising theatre essentials at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in Durban, claim they have been exploited.
The workers, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their jobs, told the Daily News that they did not receive a bonus in three years, there are staff shortages and they also did not have adequate uniforms. The staff were allegedly reduced from 60 workers to around 35, increasing the workload.
One disgruntled employee said that on March 22, 2022, their manager told them they would not be receiving bonuses due to the company having financial problems. However, when their union, the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), asked management to produce financial statements to support this, they were allegedly given a fake statement.
The workers said they rely on the bonus to help pay off their debts. Another employee said the hospital has many contractors who exploit workers, particularly their employer, the Mbekani Group. The worker said the CCMA process is taking too long because every time the case is set to start, their employer changes their legal representative.
Mbekani Group chairperson Dr Judy Dlamini refuted the claims, saying Mbekani is a private small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME), which has valid contracts with all its employees.
Dlamini said the company respects and honours all its contractual obligations to employees.
“Whenever employees have issues we resolve them internally, if we fail, the CCMA becomes an adjudicator.
“Going to the media is malicious when the process is in play; no one has broken a contract or any legal obligations. We never give fake information, that is not how we conduct ourselves or the business; we reject that suggestion with the contempt it deserves.”
Nehawu provincial secretary Ayanda Zulu said the workers are challenging the employer. He said the financials that the contractor provided were not concurrent.
“The workers’ bonuses form part of their conditions of service. The union will meet our legal team and decide on the next step – the Labour Court.”
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Daily News