ANA reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) on Tuesday said it was concerned by the remarks made by the parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs about the use of cellphones by front desk staff during working hours.  

Committee chairperson Hlomani Chauke on Monday urged the department to consider an outright ban on cellphone usage by frontline staff during working hours at all home affairs offices.  This was after the committee received numerous complaints from the public about delays at offices brought about by cellphone usage.  In a statement, Nehawu pointed out that the use of cellphones by front-desk staff had been the subject of discussions between labour and the employer in the bargaining chamber in order to ensure it was managed without infringing on the rights of workers.  The union said it did not condone the unnecessary use of personal cellphones during working hours, especially if it impeded service delivery, but found it unacceptable that the blame for delays in service delivery at home affairs was squarely put on the shoulders of its members and workers.  The union pointed out there were a number of unfilled vacant posts across the country and that staff were overworked.  The Public Servants Association (PSA) condemned as “misplaced and ill-informed” the remarks made by Chauke.

• Read the original report on this story in full at The Citizen
• Read Nehawu’s press statement in this regard at Nehawu News
• Read too, Cellphone ban on front-desk staff at home affairs is misplaced, ill-informed, says PSA, at The Citizen

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page