Cluster: Health & Welfare Negotiations & Industrial Relations

Composition of The Cluster:

The Cluster comprises of two Units:

1. Employment Relations
2. Health & Welfare Negotiations.

Scope of the Unit, Health & Welfare Negotiations:

The scope of the Unit, Health & Welfare Negotiations is to represent both the employers of the Departments of Health and Departments of Social Development on the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) and the Public Health And Welfare Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHWSBC).

Core Functions of the Unit, Health & Welfare Negotiations:

• The Cluster deals with the preparation and strategy for negotiations on interest issues with organised labour in the PHWSBC. This includes research, drafting of agreements and negotiating the draft agreements with organised labour.
• Monitors Human Resource trends in the Sector
• Monitors the implementation and impact of resolutions
• Provides advice on resolutions, conditions of service and interest issues to all stakeholders of the sector.
• Provide support to the Chief Negotiator of the State
• A substantial amount of time is spent by personnel of the cluster on task team activities of both the PSCBC and PHWSBC. The clusters personnel serve on the following task teams:
  • PSCBC Council
  • PSCBC EXCO
  • PSCBC FINCOM
  • PSCBC Labour Relations Task Team
  • PSCBC Medical Aid Restructuring
  • PSCBC Pensions Restructuring
  • PSCBC Scarce Skills
  • PSCBC BCEA Variations
  • PSCBC Technical Committee (set up to plan and monitor activities in terms of resolution 7 of 2002)
  • PHWSBC Council
  • PHWSBC EXCO
  • PHWSBC FINCOM
  • PHWSBC Transformation
  • PHWSBC Skills Development
  • PHWSBC Research
  • PHWSBC Dispute Resolution

The organised labour parties to the PHWSBC are DENOSA, HOSPERSA, NEHAWU, NUPSAW and PSA. Two hundred and twenty five thousand employees of the State fall under the scope of the PHWSBC.