North West Province; Mafikeng: The North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha on Friday afternoon called an urgent meeting with executive managers of contracted external security companies, including facilities management, and provincial and regional union representatives. The purpose was to engage with all affected parties to find a lasting solution to avert the continuous salaries strike of external security guards which already ensued for almost a week.
What led to this unfortunate strike action is that there have been several interruptions of the network in the Provincial government system over the past few months. This has affected the payments of many service providers including security companies.
This led to the delay of payment of outstanding invoices. As a matter of priority, the payment of security service companies was receiving the utmost attention from the health authorities, and the processing and payment started on the 14th August 2021.
“Security in health facility provides essential services and is one of our priorities to mitigate risks and very important to keep patients and staff safe at the actual point of care, this includes the state properties as well. This cannot be compromised at all times” said the MEC. “in fact, all security matters must be immediately elevated to the highest authorities”.
It is regrettable that whilst the external security guards were on striking, the intelligence observed infiltration of disruptive business people who not only influenced the guards to be defiant and leave their posts but also intimidated them to abandon their posts and demand removal of the recently appointed security companies, which was not what
the security guards were initially not striking for.
The engagement with the MEC meeting was indeed fruitful. The outcomes of the meeting led to the amicable solution that benefited all parties, and the following commitments are brought forward:
All parties agreed that a security strike for salaries will be suspended with immediate effect. All security guards will return to their posts and security service will be fully functional in all health facilities as from 26/08/2021 at 20H00pm.
Commitment is made by security companies executive directors that all security guards will be paid before the end of the business by Saturday 28th August 2021. The security companies further made a commitment that the monthly payment date for the security guards will be will adhere to without fail.
Although we would at times experience unforeseen IT system failure as it was the case. The NW Department of Health further commits to payment of 30 days upon receipt of the security invoice.
This matter of payment will be taken to the DEC of the department.
Contact management capacity is critical to ensure efficiency in the system. MEC has directed that the district and provincial office must have a dedicated section of employees in supply chain and finance who will be responsible for monitoring claims and payments of security companies. This will also help with tracking of companies’ payments.
This will ensure that there is no reason for unions to mobilize security guards to go on strike for salaries.
Security guards and security companies must be made aware that the issue of community or business contestation must be taken out of the workplaces. They must separate between the element that has to deal with anarchy and the element that has to do with labour issues. Security and Unions must deal with labour matters.
Business communities must refrain from unfair influencing the unsuspecting security guards or any other component of health services personnel to undue anarchy.
If any business forum or individuals wants to make a presentation, they are free to pursue their business matters through the courts of law instead of causing anarchy in our health facilities. Acts of intimidation and force removal of security guards from their posts will no longer be tolerated.
MEC further advised that there must be continuous meetings of management and security personnel to ensure service delivery is not compromised, including issues of agreed upon such as security rates payment, and recruitment etc.
Source: Government of South Africa