Namhla Tshisela

Namhla Tshisela

The Department of Health is in the process of reinstating workers who were dismissed for participating in the four-week public service strike.

The spokesman for the department, Sibani Mngadi, said yesterday that 2003 workers were dismissed for taking part in the strike.

Gauteng health spokesman Zanele Mngadi said all 384 workers in the province - nurses, cleaners, administration staff and porters - who were fired have returned to work.

The majority of the public service unions, excluding teacher unions, accepted the government's 7,5 percent wage increase on June 28, bringing an end to the nationwide strike.

Mngadi denied media claims that staff at Tembisa Hospital were fired after being reinstated. "It was a misunderstanding."

National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union spokesman Guy Slingsby said in terms of the agreement between the unions and the government, all the dismissed workers should be reinstated.

South African Democratic Nurses Union spokesman Freddie Mohai said the dismissal letters were to be withdrawn and replaced with final written warnings.