Download PDFThe Ekurhuleni District Health is forcing Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) who are aged 60 or over to retire. This is according to Mam Mogane, a CHW since 2016.
“The Department of Ekurhuleni District Health is targeting CHWs reaching the age of 60 and forcing them to resign or retire,” said Mam Mogane. “I feel that I am being discriminated based on my age by Ekurhuleni District Health officials,” she said.
Mam Mogane further claimed that she was treated differently to the other CHWs. “Secondly, I have been sidelined. The employer refuses to let me do RPL [Recognition of Prior Learning] trainings, but allows younger colleagues to do the training.”
According to Mam Mogane, she was also subjected to harassment and a hostile work environment by the district officials and her supervisors.
“I am able to work, I am physically and mentally able to work. The department forced me to retire without my consent,” she added. “I have not been charged for misconduct… The department is biased, and also failed to explain the reasons why are they targeting the CHWs who are aged 60 or more and forcing them to resign.”
Mam Mogane said the department of Health made her sign her contract without getting a chance to read it and then refused to give her a copy of the contractto keep for herself.
The department also did not discuss the issue of retirement at all.
“[By law], I am allowed to work for as long as I like as and no one is allowed to discriminate against me because of my age. There are Ministers over 65 years and still doing well, why me? There are other senior officials also over 65 years still working, worse is that our President is nearly 70 years.
“Currently, the department has advertised our posts, and the posts require a minimum of six months of experience in health promotion or experience in working with outreach teams,” Mam Mogane said. “I have my auxiliary certificates, my Grade 12, my emergency and safety certificates. The experience I have I want to share with the community and work for them as usual”.
This article was submitted on 20 May 2021 and first published in the Forum News May-June 2021 edition. 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.
