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Lesemang Matuka


The Head of the Department, Professor Mkhululi Lukhele, has affirmed Gauteng Health’s commitment to create a supportive workplace culture, collegial and free of bullies in line with the Labour Relations prescripts of the country. 
 
The HoDs commitment comes on the heels of the Public Service Commission (PSC) report titled the Roundtable Session on Understanding the cause of and Ending Unfair Treatment in the Workplace. The report which analysed grievance trends for the past three years in the workplace had identified unfair treatment as the highest cause of grievance in the workplace.
 
The PSC findings also corroborated the study conducted by the International Labour Organisation, under the auspices of the United Nations to investigate workplace violence in the health sector in South Africa which found that nearly 80% of respondents experienced hostile behaviour in the workplace during their working life.

The PSC commissioner, Marias Martin said unfair treatment refers broadly to unfair labour practice as defined in the Labour Relations Act of 1995 under Section 186 (2) as well as other forms of unfair treatment which manifests in the form of, amongst others, victimisation, bullying, discrimination, intimidation, harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace.
 
"As for us in the Department, we have common law duty to provide a safe and healthy workplace. Our organisation is free bullying environment, and as a result I would like to remind staff members that the Employment Equity Act in section 6) (1) does contain a prohibition against unfair discrimination, such that no person may unfairly discriminate, directly or indirectly, against an employee, in any employment policy or practice.
 
"The entire Executive Management Committee is committed to creating a friendly working environment for all, any employee who is aggrieved should follow the approved grievance procedure and register his/her grievance with the labour relations unit within 90 days from the date on which he/ she became aware of the act or omission by the Department. The grievance will be dealt with in a fair, impartial and unbiased manner," commented Professor Lukhele.