Union calls for special risk allowance for nurses
The Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) says nurses deserve a special risk allowance.
The healthcare workers' union made the call, as the frontline workers mark International Nurses Day.
"Nurses in South Africa are not that well paid when you compare the risk of their jobs. We are battling the Covid-19 pandemic where many of them have lost their colleagues during this fight.
"At this point in time whereby employers have not been able to procure the necessary PPE's to ensure that nurses are protected," says spokesperson Kevin Halama.
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More than 414 000 healthcare workers have received the Covid jab so far.
He says they expected more from the country's vaccination programme.
"Unfortunately, this rate is quite slow if you compare it against the target, which is to vaccinate 67% of the population."
