Central SA
FS Sassa irons out #Coronavirus impasse─── OLEBOGENG MOTSE 12:28 Thu, 18 Jun 2020
The impasse between the Free State management of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and employees over adherence to Covid-19 regulations, has for now been resolved.
On Wednesday morning, employees at the agency’s Bloemfontein offices stood off against staff management, demanding that the employer adhere to COVID-19 regulations by providing hand sanitisers and glass shields to be placed on the desks of each employee. The Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA), representing a portion of the staff, were called to the agency on Wednesday morning at 09:30, to engage management on the staff’s concerns. PSA Provincial Manager, Aubrey Nappie, tells OFM News an agreement has been reached on the matter and elaborates further on the terms of said agreement. According to the PSA, the employer had already procured the sanitisers but did not distribute them to employees. A call was made by management and the situation was rectified. Nappie says Sassa has also now introduced a shift system at the Bloemfontein offices, to reduce the number of staff at the building at any given point. This is to allow for social distancing, which had not been in place at the time. In addition to this, the Free State Sassa management ordered glass shields for employee's desks two weeks ago and expect that they will arrive in due course. The PSA vows to monitor these developments closely “to ensure that the lives of their members are not put at risk”. Sassa is expected to comment on the situation soon. The level three regulations outlined in the country’s Disaster Management Act specifically require “businesses and other institutions with more than 100 employees to minimise the number of employees at the workplace at any given time, through rotation, staggered working hours, shift system and remote working arrangements to achieve social distancing”. The act further requires businesses and institutions to adhere to occupational health and safety guidelines as outlined by cabinet, which included the provision of sanitisers and masks. The concerns raised by the Sassa staff are similar to those by healthcare personnel in the province who have in recent weeks also alleged there is a lack of available personal protective equipment in health facilities like the Senorita Ntlabathi Hospital in Ladybrand and the Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Regional Hospital in Phuthaditjhaba. The PSA and the Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa have come out in defence of their members at the latter hospital. Calling for the provincial health department to close the facility down for urgent decontamination after nine employees tested positive for COVID-19. OFM News |
