National strike of South African community health workers; Nigerian doctors in Ondo state on
indefinite strike; Zimbabwe’s teachers continue strike; UK engineers at Rolls Royce factory
continue strike
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East
& Africa
12 November 2020
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Africa
South African community health workers strike over pay
and conditions
Community Health Workers (CHWs) in South Africa went on indefinite national strike
Wednesday demanding to be employed by the National Health Department. Most of the
country’s 55,000 CHWs do not have the salary, benefits, support or protection given to formally
employed healthcare workers. Most provinces contract their work out via NGOs.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union members work at grassroots level and
in the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. They play a vital role in health promotion and
disease prevention, especially in rural areas and townships.
South Africa recorded 740,254 coronavirus cases, with 19,951 fatalities.
South African food workers sacked in strike for better
conditions
Over 80 workers who protested over unsafe conditions at a snack manufacturer in Queenstown,
South Africa have been suspended or sacked.
The South African Security and Allied Workers Union members took part in an unprotected
strike and then sought to widen support through social media. The employer, Trudar Foods,
applied to Port Elizabeth Labour Court to prohibit further online protests against the firm.