Dispatch *Unions down tools again* *Ntando Makhubu and Asa Sokopo, Dispatch, East London, 29 September 2010*HEALTH and Education in the province ground to a halt again yesterday when hundreds of administration officials downed tools .
In Bhisho, hundreds of health workers stormed MEC Phumulo Masualle's office to demand the immediate removal of superintendent-general (SG) Dr Siva Pillay.
Saying yesterday's action was triggered by Pillay suspending four shop stewards following the national three-week strike by civil servants in July, the workers said he had also put a "no work, no pay" code into the system which would affect their October salaries.
"We made our complaints known to the MEC's office last week, where we were promised a response as soon as he returned to work this week, but we have not heard from him," National Health, Education and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) shop steward Rodgers Relu said.
The workers called upon Masualle to remove Pillay "before the rot spread to the core of the department".
In Zwelitsha, a disagreement at the Education head office could spell further disaster for the province in the run-up to matric exams next month.
Employees, led by union members, said they would do no work until five officials suspended by acting SG Ronnie Swartz were reinstated.
Swartz last week suspended five officials, all members of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu), for alleged intimidation and damage to property.
Not even court interdicts, won by the Education Department, have managed to settle disruptions at the Zwelitsha headquarters previously.
The department has been mired in controversy in recent months, with former acting SG Professor Harry Nengwekhulu petitioning the court to interdict protesting officials.
The interdicts were later withdrawn after the ANC intervened.Swartz had previously issued a stern warning to officials who did not toe the line, saying charges would be brought against them.
Swartz declined to comment on the matter yesterday.One Education official, who is a Nehawu member, said they were instructed by union leadership based at the site office to do no work in solidarity with their suspended Sadtu colleagues.
The official said they felt that Sadtu provincial secretary Fezeka Loliwe should raise the issue of the suspensions with the department, or else they were willing to approach national government.
"We are pledging solidarity because we have a partnership with Sadtu. Injury to one is an injury to all. We will continue in this fashion until the suspension of the Sadtu members is lifted," he said.
Another official said while she did not necessarily agree with the unions' action, she would do as they said out of fear of being intimidated.
"This has been happening since Monday. A meeting was called where we were told not to do any work ... some officials from district office were also invited," she said.
At the Health Department, workers resolved to go back to work today after promises by management to resolve the most immediate problems speedily.
Although the department's head of communication, Siyanda Manana, failed to respond to questions on yesterday's action, Relu said: "Management has promised to meet with us at 11o'clock tomorrow morning, when they will inform us on the reversal of the no work, no pay issue."
He said they had also promised to rope in the Office of the Premier to advise them on the suspensions. Saying that a feedback meeting with workers had been scheduled for lunch-time today, Relu said: "If workers are not happy we could stop working to ensure that our demands are met."
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