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 Friday, September 4 is the deadline the NGO sector gave the provincial Government bodies to respond to the demands brought forward at the nationwide ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ protest last Friday.
The protests were a resounding success with almost 10 000 social service workers, volunteers, users of social services, trade unionists, students and social justice activists taking to the streets of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Cape Town, Mafikeng and Bisho.
Wielding signs that read “If you want to pay peanuts hire monkeys”, “Good social services cost money”, “Save our expertise, stop brain drain” and “Social workers are professionals, pay accordingly”, the marchers and speakers of the day made their message clear. The NGO sector wants “Equal Pay for Equal Work”.
Mamiki Ramaphakela, chairperson of Gauteng Welafre Forum, said for a
long time the NGO sector has been polite, thinking things will change
but nothing has happened. She said people are still suffering and that
social service workers deserve better. She emphasised that the sector
wants to work with Government to make things better. “We are no longer
prepared to receive leftovers from the budget, stop treating us like
charity cases,” she said.
Honorary president of Civicus, Kumi Naidoo, was also there to show his
support. “If Government is serious about eradicating poverty, they need
to ensure equal pay for equal work for all in the sector. If Government
can find money to spend on the World Cup and expensive cars, why can’t
they find money for the people working with the poorest of the poor in
this country,” he said.
Kumi said this protest was a call for Government to “put your money
where your mouth is”, since it has already committed to the MDGs,
ending poverty and building a strong civil society.
According to Leila Patel of the Centre for Social Development in Africa
at the University of Johannesburg, the march was “long overdue”. Leila
said Government needs to review its funding model and policies saying
those in existence were unfair and unjust. “This lack of funding can’t
continue,” she added.
In Gauteng, memorandums were received by Bheki Sibeko, the head of
department: Social Development as well representatives for the MEC for
Finance and the Gauteng Premier.
When the documents were handed over, Ramaphakela made it clear that the
sector wanted a response in a week’s time. Fazeela Fayers of Hospersa
reiterated that the sector would not give up easily. “The government
has made us the forgotten lot, but today we have gathered in numbers.
We are here to remind government. We are in a struggle to the end, if
Government fails to hear us today, we will return in bigger numbers, we
are prepared to take Government to the highest court,” she said.
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