Luphert Chilwane
2 July 2009
Johannesburg — THE Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (Rudasa) yesterday called on its members who joined the strike over pay to return to work because the primary healthcare system was under strain.
The call comes as the government has begun to dismiss doctors who have embarked on a wildcat strike.
Dr Elma de Vries, spokeswoman of Rudasa, said doctors had succeeded in raising the wage issue, but now it was time to refocus on the interests of poor rural patients.
"Our health system in rural areas is always strained and the strike made it worse. Most rural patients cannot afford private healthcare; they are mostly disadvantaged," she said.
Rudasa is an affiliate member of the South African Medical Association, representing more than 200 rural medical professionals.
De Vries said although the association was not impressed with the government's pay increase offer, "we understand that there is a very limited budget to satisfy everyone".
"It seems to me that doctors are not familiar with labour issues. If you decide to embark on a strike, there should be a dispute being declared, but in this strike there was none," she said.
Sdumo Dlamini, president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, said yesterday the unions would take the offer back to their members for consideration. "If our members are happy and satisfied with the offer, unions will sign within 21 days as stipulated by the rules governing the negotiations," he said.
South African Medical Association spokeswoman Phophi Ramathuba and South African Registrars Association spokesman Lebogang Phahladira said both associations were consulting their members.
The Independent Labour Caucus, which represents more than 40% of public servants in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, said it was not happy that the employer had deviated from the implementation date agreed on in the pay negotiations of 2007 regarding the occupation-specific dispensation.
Caucus chairman Manie de Clercq said he was not happy with the occupation- specific dispensation packages offered to the medical cluster and the offers made in respect of occupations such as emergency medical services.
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