DRAMA AS WORKERS, PATIENTS LOCKED OUT

MANZINI – Operations were affected at the Blood Bank and TB Clinic in Manzini, as healthcare workers and patients were locked out over unpaid security guards’ salaries.

The incident took place yesterday morning and patients who had come to seek medical assistance at the TB Clinic were turned back. It remains unclear who locked the gates, as some claimed that it was the unpaid security guards, who are employed by Gridlock Security Services, while other suspected that it was some of the civil servants who were sympathising with the guards.

However, a notice that was placed at the gate and titled; Gridlock (Security Services) employees’ petition listed three concerns; double payment, uniform and the last one reads; “Asikaholi, ngeke sivule, two months wonkhe*sic (We have not been paid for two months and we will not open (the gates).” According to some of the workers who were found at the TB Clinic, they found the gates locked with the usual padlocks and there was the notice which was posted at the gates. They said they believe it was the security guards who locked the gates in protest over their unpaid salaries.

A source close to the matter said after the security company’s management learnt that the workers from the two facilities had been locked out, it purportedly sent a team of other guards to use force to open the gates and they managed to execute that at the Blood Bank. However, he alleged that the workers said they do not feel safe to gain entry through a gate that was opened through the use of force.  On the other hand, the source said when they tried to break open the padlock at the TB Clinic; they had a confrontation with some of the civil servants, who work there. As a result, the source said they failed to open it.

Meanwhile, another source alleged that around noon, the security company’s management came to meet the aggrieved guards and they promised to pay them before Friday. Thereafter, the source claimed that the security guards purportedly opened the gates and operations resumed. Gridlock Security Services Managing Director (MD) David Nyathi said according to their knowledge, they owe the security guards salaries for the month of November 2024, which, as a company, they were supposed to pay on the 25th.

Contract

He said the delay in paying the salaries was because government had not paid the company since the contract started in August. He said all along, he had been paying the workers from his pocket. He added that he was also working on getting money to pay them for the month of November 2024. Regarding the locked gates, he said he was convinced that was done by some of the staff members, who were sympathising with the unpaid guards. He added that the keys of the padlocks are not kept by the guards, but by senior staff members of the facilities. Again, he said when they tried to use force to open the gates, at the TB Clinic; they were confronted by the clinic’s staff members, which according to his analysis, showed that they had taken sides on the matter. Meanwhile, the Communications Officer in the Ministry of Health, Nsindiso Tsabedze, said the ministry is aware of the situation that prevailed in the morning at the Blood Bank and TB clinic in Manzini.

However, he said the situation was rectified and services continued by midday. He said they have also engaged the service provider to discuss the matter and the conduct of its employees.
“Its management acted swiftly to call the employees to order and restore order at the affected facilities,” Tsabedze said.  On another note, he said according to their records, the company concerned had been paid. He said there were delays in the payment, but they have received confirmation that payment had been processed. Thereafter, he highlighted that suppliers of goods and services, are aware of delays in payment. He said they cooperate with government to provide services despite delays in processing and paying the invoices.

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