MP Health department can’t get linen clean and suspends nineteen nurses
Middelburg – The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) is challenging the Mpumalanga Department of Health to justify the suspension of 19 nurses at the Middelburg Provincial Hospital.
The nursing staff were placed on precautionary suspension on Monday, 30 June 2025, on allegations of participating in an unlawful strike, which culminated in the disruption of hospital services and operations.
“We were shocked as the employer cited allegations of incitement pertaining to unlawful strikes and industrial actions,” said NUPSAW’s provincial full-time shop steward, Tumelo Sibisi.
He added there is a distinction between employees receiving feedback from their leaders and subsequently returning to their duties. “These individuals have consistently fulfilled their responsibilities. They have provided their services as stipulated by their contractual obligations across all units that have existed.”
Sibisi said NUPSAW categorically refuses to permit its members to participate in an unlawful strike because of the potential repercussions.
Sibisi also underscored three main concerns—unremunerated overtime dating back from February 2025, vanishing housing savings, and unsanitary linens—which he stated have left the nurses dissatisfied and seeking accountability.
In response to a list of questions Highveld Chronicle sent, provincial spokesperson Dumisani Malamule said the department engaged with the staff members and attended to some of their demands. However 19 employees persisted in staging a sit-in strike in the offices of the CEO and the Corporate Manager, demanding their removal.
“Their action was disruptive, prohibiting the normal functioning of the hospital and impeding management from executing their duties. Despite repeated calls for these workers to return to their stations, they ignored the advice,” said Malamule. “This left the department with no choice but to effect precautionary suspensions, in the best interests of service delivery, and of the people of Steve Tshwete. The department had no option, but to suspend the 19 officials.”
However, Sibisi said in all their engagement with the department, it has not been forthcoming. “Efforts have been made to engage with management, and follow-ups were conducted, yet no constructive response has been forthcoming from the union.”
The nurses are unable to access their Government Employees Housing Scheme (GEHS) savings accumulated since 2015, Sibisi said. “When members began to make claims around 2023, those affected were informed by Human Resources that no savings existed. This revelation shocked us as a union.”
Department struggles to keep linens clean
Regarding the issue of soiled linens, Sibisi said, “They work with linens as part of their duty to ensure that patients reside in a clean environment, are well cared for, remain warm, and are safeguarded from pathogens. This is accomplished through the provision of linens. Therefore, the unavailability of linens poses a significant problem, as ultimately, they are not advocating for themselves but for the community at large.”
In response to the soiled linen, Malamule said: “Despite multiple repairs, the machines continue to fail, necessitating that some machines need complete replacement. In response to this, the department fixed some of the machines to continue to do laundry washing locally. Whereas, some linen is washed at the neighbouring hospitals. Whilst the procurement of new laundry machines is underway, the department has managed to restore services of the old laundry machines in the hospital.”
