Download PDFIn the North West province Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) are still experiencing oppression under the Department of Health (DoH) management and officials. The way things are being done by management and the officials in the North West is bad, they don’t follow the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of South Africa.
In the North West age discrimination is a big challenge for CHWs. Our employer does not consult with CHWs about the issue – even if the CHW still wants to work, the DoH takes the decision to terminate their contracts.
Even now, project managers in Hududi Clinic in Vryburg (North West province) have refused and continue to refuse to give two Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) their employment contracts. The two CHWs will be turning 60 years old in September and November this year.
This is a common problem for CHWs in North West. The management has told us that ‘when you turn 60 the system kicks you out automatically’. But even if this is true, the two CHWs have not yet turned 60, yet they do not have contracts. Where does the remaining months’ money go? These contracts do not save or protect us because the DoH can terminate them when we turn 60 years or even in the middle of the contract.
This article was submitted on 9 April 2022. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
