HOSPERSA CONDEMNS PLANNED RETRENCHMENTS AT NETCARE
Hospersa has critised the NETCARE Group for planned retrenchments at a number of its facilities over the next few weeks. The private healthcare group issued the Union with a notice that it plans to restructure its business operations in its hospital division which would affect hundreds of employees. Hospersa, the largest Trade Union at NETCARE in South Africa, has vowed to use all its legal avenues to block any possible retrenchments put forward by the profit-driven healthcare group.
According to the notice, the NETCARE Group has proposed a structural review of its business operations in the hospital division which will affect approximately five hundred (500) employees. The private healthcare giant has highlighted that it needs to reduce its hospital division structure in an attempt to reduce the company’s current payroll costs. Hospersa is shocked by this reason citing that the NETCARE Group raked in millions of rands in the previous financial when it saw a 8,4% increase in revenue which was R20,717 million in 2018 compared to R19,114 million in 2017. The group also recorded a 5,9% increase in patient days as well as a 5,3% increase in final dividend to sixty (60) cents a share. In South Africa, NETCARE Group recorded a 17,8% increase in cash generated amounting to R4,305 million.
“We reject the reasons given by NETCARE for the possible retrenchments,” said Hospersa Public Relations Officer Kevin Halama. “NETCARE has consistently raked in millions of rands in South Africa’s heavily monopolised private hospital industry where it is the market leader. The group’s intentions to retrench employees will leave many families without bread winners in a country where unemployment has reached alarming levels, and this we cannot allow” added Halama.
“We will consult with our members whose employment is in jeopardy as per the notice issued,” said Halama. “Hospersa will also explore all possible legal avenues to block the planned retrenchments whose reasons are driven purely by greed in an effort to rake in even more millions in the group’s coffers,” concluded Halama.