"My take-home won't take me home"

We're in the midst of a crisis here in SA.

Nurses, teachers and other public sector workers are on strike across the country demanding a 12% payrise instead of the 6% they've been offered ....


And it is shocking - these workers are pitiably paid .... they make barely enough to cover basic needs ... and despite inflation now running at 6.5% - these public sector workers haven't had a decent rise in years ... which is especially galling when we're constantly being told how well the country is doing .... and when President Mbeki scores a 57% increase ....

However the reality is that for the past week - no children have been able to go to public school .... books, desks and facilities have been burned and kids have been threatened if they venture anywhere near a classroom .... exams have been postponed indefinitely and troops keep guard on school playgrounds ...

Even worse - although doctors have not participated in the strike .... our nurses sadly don't seem to be quite so sensitive to their essential staff status .... and have deserted hospitals and clinics in their droves .... even more horribly - they have barricaded hospitals, prevented patients entering and the army has had to be deployed for emergency medical assistance ....

I was doing my monthly stint at Edendale hospital last week ... and the junior doctors were being told to discharge all the patients they could because the hospital was planning on shutting down the next day (anyone left would have to be transferred to a private hospital) ....

As I left the hospital .... picketing nurses occupied the 5th and 7th floors of the building toi-toi-ing (a sort of scary demonstration singing/dancing effort - think old anti-apartheid riots) .... and when i finally battled the crowds and got outside ... cars were being smashed, tires burned and the police were firing rubber bullets .... it was my first proper strike - and I was terrified ....

This is the scene that now greets patients when they try to seek medical attention .....

The papers report that hospital authorities admit patients are dying due to lack of access to healthcare .... dying outside hospitals of heart attacks or asthma attacks because they can't physically get inside ....

The worst story of today was a woman who lost her baby because there was no one to assist the obstetrician with an emergency a caesarian section .... or a report yesterday of eight schoolgirls who were arrested after they got into a fight with striking teachers .... the girls were protesting against the strike: they wanted to be taught.

Now I am all in favour of workers rights ..... but I had always believed that the whole point of a strike is that it's a peaceful way to show strength and hence win demands. For me - it's the ultimate weapon that workers can wield in a collective bargaining situation ....

However here - there seems no end in sight to the violence as more unions are threatening to join the strike in sympathy. This from a teacher's union head: "We are at war now and in war there are no strict rules. You shoot to kill."