NEHAWU warns new Cabinet against cutting govt employees’ jobs May 30, 2019 0 174 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter JOHANNESBURG, May 30 – The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) has cautioned against job losses as a result of the appointment of a reduced Cabinet, saying that these measures must not lead to budget cuts in terms of the existing programmes. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night announced a reduced Cabinet with 28 ministers, down from 36, but with 34 deputy ministers during a process he said was the “reconfiguration of national government”. NEHAWU, one of biggest public sector workers unions, said it welcomes the reduction of ministries as a means to have a leaner and more efficient government that will be preoccupied with prioritising service delivery. But the union warned job losses would not be welcomed. “Our view is that this should be about the closure of ministries as opposed to departments. The latter must be absorbed or integrated in the related existing departments. We hope this would not lead to a job blood bath of the coal-face public service jobs,” it said in a statement. “Should jobs be lost in this fashion we will fight fire with fire. As NEHAWU, we are more than ready to wage a relentless war should any of our members and workers lose jobs because of this move.” NEHAWU said it hopes that the reappointed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni will abide by the vision of the African National Congress (ANC) and not deviate from it. Mboweni has had a run in with unions over his public comments that the public service was bloated and needed to reduce the number of workers, especially at Eskom in order for it to function efficiently. “The national union is vehemently opposed to his misguided view that the public service is bloated and must be cut down. If he persist with this view we are more than ready to meet fire with fire,” warned NEHAWU. “Our members are at the coalface of service delivery and on a daily basis they have stories to tell on how they are overstretched to perform tasks that are not part of their job description without being remunerated for it.” NEHAWU added that the new administration must immediately focus on the speedy implementation of the National Health Insurance and comprehensive social security, the implementation of free higher education, re-industrialisation of the economy and the fight to defeat corruption and state capture. The union congratulated Senzo Mchunu for being appointed the minister of public service and administration, saying that it hopes to have a good working relationship with him. NEHAWU said it wants the filling of vacant posts in the public service at the top of the ministry’s agenda. – African News Agency (ANA)
