GroundUp reports that on Tuesday about 40 members of the SA Social Services Union (Sassu) and the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) picketed the Western Cape Department of Social Development.  

They were complaining of “unfair treatment, improper labour practices, ethical violations, and mismanagement” on the part of MEC for Social Development Albert Fritz.  Their dissatisfaction with Fritz relates to a threat to charge employees with insubordination if they attended a national government event in Beaufort West with the national minister.  This was said to be just the latest example of Fritz’s lack of understanding for the social work profession and that there had been numerous instructions barring the department’s social workers from working with the national department.  Sassu wants the minister to issue an apology, improve safety, guarantee a danger allowance, and establish a commission of inquiry to investigate labour conditions.  If that did not happen within 30 days, workers would strike.  Nehawu is planning protests at other Western Cape offices.  The department responded by saying it "refuses to be drawn into a political game with aspirant fringe politicians, masquerading as union-bosses".

Read this report by Rejul Bejoy in full at GroundUp

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