Government service doctors are planning to lodge a formal objection to the Health Department’s plan to scrap fixed overtime payments‚ which it says is being implemented while consultations are meant to be ongoing.
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) on Wednesday said it was concerned about the new overtime policy for public healthcare personnel signed and released by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. The new policy is to be implemented by the provincial health departments.
“This development has caused a great deal of anxiety within the medical fraternity because it has overtaken the current consultative labour processes. At the time of the release of the final draft‚ the medical profession was awaiting further consultation for ratification of the proposed amendments. The Minister appears to have overlooked this important step in the process‚” said Dr Mzukisi Grootboom‚ chairperson of SAMA.
SAMA said the proposed unilateral changes to the overtime policy has serious implications for the profession‚ and the public.
It feared that “the proposed changes render the provision of overtime by doctors impossible in that it requires them to work without proper compensation‚ and that it will result in many doctors withdrawing from overtime‚ effectively crippling delivery of healthcare services“.
“We reject this attempt to force public sector doctors to abide by this policy. For this reason the Industrial Relations Department of SAMA is preparing to lodge a formal dispute with the National Bargaining Council‚” Dr Grootboom said.
SAMA advised its members to continue providing overtime work according to the present contractual arrangements while the bargaining processes are being followed. It said this temporary arrangement should be done in the best interest of the public while attempts were made to further engage with the Minister and the Department of Health.
Doctors across the country have been fighting the change mooted by government since the proposed policy change was communicated to doctors on February 7.
In September‚ doctors in Mpumalanga staged a march and threatened to stop working overtime should the provincial health department implement the new overtime management system.
If the proposal succeeds‚ doctors would have to claim for fixed overtime‚ which they fear will mean take-home salaries would decrease.
The policy reads: “Payments for commuted overtime will be made upon submission of claims on a monthly basis that have been recommended by the Clinical Manager and approved by the CEO or District Manager.”
An Eastern Cape doctor told the Daily Dispatch in March that fixed overtime‚ also known as commuted overtime‚ was 60 to 80 hours.
Each doctor is on call at least two week days a month‚ totalling 32 hours‚ and two weekends a month‚ totalling 48 hours.
He said over and above this‚ doctors are at times second on call for overtime shifts. For this they are permitted to claim.
“What they are doing now is that they won’t give us fixed overtime with our salaries. Now we’d have to claim even for that. Our human resources systems are poor in these district hospitals and it will take us forever to get that money. People are already threatening to resign over this. It won’t motivate anyone to stay in government‚” he said.
Doctors accuse Motsoaledi of riding roughshod over their objections to change on overtime
Government service doctors are planning to lodge a formal objection to the Health Department’s plan to scrap fixed overtime payments‚ which it says is being implemented while consultations are meant to be ongoing.
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) on Wednesday said it was concerned about the new overtime policy for public healthcare personnel signed and released by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. The new policy is to be implemented by the provincial health departments.
“This development has caused a great deal of anxiety within the medical fraternity because it has overtaken the current consultative labour processes. At the time of the release of the final draft‚ the medical profession was awaiting further consultation for ratification of the proposed amendments. The Minister appears to have overlooked this important step in the process‚” said Dr Mzukisi Grootboom‚ chairperson of SAMA.
SAMA said the proposed unilateral changes to the overtime policy has serious implications for the profession‚ and the public.
It feared that “the proposed changes render the provision of overtime by doctors impossible in that it requires them to work without proper compensation‚ and that it will result in many doctors withdrawing from overtime‚ effectively crippling delivery of healthcare services“.
“We reject this attempt to force public sector doctors to abide by this policy. For this reason the Industrial Relations Department of SAMA is preparing to lodge a formal dispute with the National Bargaining Council‚” Dr Grootboom said.
SAMA advised its members to continue providing overtime work according to the present contractual arrangements while the bargaining processes are being followed. It said this temporary arrangement should be done in the best interest of the public while attempts were made to further engage with the Minister and the Department of Health.
Doctors across the country have been fighting the change mooted by government since the proposed policy change was communicated to doctors on February 7.
In September‚ doctors in Mpumalanga staged a march and threatened to stop working overtime should the provincial health department implement the new overtime management system.
If the proposal succeeds‚ doctors would have to claim for fixed overtime‚ which they fear will mean take-home salaries would decrease.
The policy reads: “Payments for commuted overtime will be made upon submission of claims on a monthly basis that have been recommended by the Clinical Manager and approved by the CEO or District Manager.”
An Eastern Cape doctor told the Daily Dispatch in March that fixed overtime‚ also known as commuted overtime‚ was 60 to 80 hours.
Each doctor is on call at least two week days a month‚ totalling 32 hours‚ and two weekends a month‚ totalling 48 hours.
He said over and above this‚ doctors are at times second on call for overtime shifts. For this they are permitted to claim.
“What they are doing now is that they won’t give us fixed overtime with our salaries. Now we’d have to claim even for that. Our human resources systems are poor in these district hospitals and it will take us forever to get that money. People are already threatening to resign over this. It won’t motivate anyone to stay in government‚” he said.
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