COVID-19 | Union protests over decision not to renew temporary nursing posts

By Samantha Allen

Published: March 16, 2022 | 9:55 AM GMT

The Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU) will march to the Gauteng Department of Health on Wednesday morning, protesting against the decision not to renew temporary nursing posts.

The Department says it cannot afford to renew all eight-thousand temporary posts created at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.<

The jobs were rolled out to address inadequate capacity, where needed, amid the healthcare crisis.

The job terminations are expected to start taking effect at the end of March.

The YNITU’s General Secretary ,Lerato Mthunzi says they plan to meet on Wednesday morning in Johannesburg and to march to the Department of Health.

“Our focus is on saving jobs of the COVID-19 heroes. Their contracts are being threatened to be terminated.

The nurses that we have trained for the past four years are also being let go,” says Mthunzi.

Mthunzi says the healthcare system is in a serious crisis.

The Department of Health is also threatening to let go of the support staff, so you can imagine the dent the loss of those jobs is going to create in a healthcare system that is in a serious crisis,” adds Mthunz

About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.