An article from the Daily Sun:
https://www.dailysun.co.za/News/National/mortuary-pathology-strike-is-over-20170706
“GAUTENG Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa has announced that the protected work-to-rule strike by forensic pathology officers is over.
Ramokgopa told media at a briefing this afternoon that all the officers had returned to their work stations on Wednesday morning.
Ramokgopa said their teams were now hard at work to clear away backlogs in all the affected facilities.
Forensic pathology officers reported for duty in Germiston, Hillbrow, Roodepoort and Diepkloof, those most affected in Gauteng. They also reported for duty at other facilities in the province.
Ramokgopa said smaller facilities such as Sebokeng, Carletonville, Ga-Rankuwa, Bronkhorstspruit and Heidelberg did not have major backlogs.
According to the department, 188 pathologists at 11 mortuaries had been on strike.
Ramokgopa pleaded with grieving families to be patient while the department expedited the release of the bodies of their loved ones.
Pathologists were on strike for a few weeks and it has affected state mortuaries in various parts of Gauteng.
Some family members had to postpone the funerals of their loved ones due to the backlog of pending post-mortems.
According to the department the strike resulted in a backlog of more than 250 bodies.
The affected facilities have all been restored to full capacity, Ramokgopa said, and their teams would move to stabilise and mobilise the facilities.
Issues raised by the forensic pathology officers included salary scales not in line with those pertaining to their 2006 transfer from the SAPS to the Gauteng Department of Health, danger allowances and the reintroduction of debriefing sessions. Other concerns were provision of equipment, protective clothing and revised job descriptions.
She said it had been agreed that a training programme would be developed that would enable forensic pathology officers to register with a statutory body.”
