TimesLive reports that striking members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) employed by the Department of Social Development (DSD) would return to work by Tuesday.  

Their five-week strike ended last week‚ after the DSD and the union signed a settlement agreement.  In negotiations that went back as far as August 2015, the union laid 13 demands out before the department‚ which included higher entry-level salaries and rural allowances.  Nehawu spokesperson Khaya Xaba said most of the demands had now been addressed, that members had been consulted and that “they are fine with the agreement.”  He added that “the only thing we were not able to agree on was the implementation and modalities of the rural allowance and the review of the [Occupation Specific Dispensation for social services workers].”  Xaba also said workers who joined the strike even though they provided essential services would not face dismissal but a written warning instead‚ because they were not properly notified by the DSD that their actions could lead to dismissal.

• Read this report by Roxanne Henderson in full at TimesLive

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