South Africa: Essential Service Staff Must Obey Court Ruling and Get Back to Work, Says Health Minister Joe Phaahla

GCIS / GovernmentZA / Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
South African Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla during a media briefing in February 2023
13 March 2023
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Tamsin Metelerkamp

Essential service workers in the health sector who fail to return to work by the morning of Tuesday, 14 March, will be committing an act of misconduct subject to disciplinary action, including possible dismissal, says Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla. This comes in the wake of the Labour Appeal Court ruling interdicting any further strike action from Nehawu, its members and employees in an essential service 'with immediate effect'.

The National Department of Health has given essential service workers in the health sector until the morning of Tuesday, 14 March, to report to work. Those who fail to report will be in contempt of the Labour Appeal Court ruling issued on Monday that interdicted any further strike action from Nehawu, its members and employees in an essential service, and will be liable to face charges of misconduct.

This was according to a media briefing by Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla on Monday evening. Phaahla said that the ministry and the National Department of Health welcomed the Labour Appeal Court judgment.

"There is no doubt that the strike has disrupted provision of essential healthcare services in the country, leading to untold suffering and frustrations amongst the public who desperately needed...

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