Johannesburg - After the recent month-long strike by public servants, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang announced an across-the-board increase of at least 20 percent for public nurses, as well as improved medical coverage and housing subsidies.
As part of this new "occupation specific dispensation" system, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and emergency care workers would move to a similar pay system next year, while all other public health professionals would see substantial increases by 2009.
The recent industrial action - South Africa's longest public service strike - ended on 28 June, but not before bringing the country to its knees: health workers, teachers and government employees took to the streets in protest; state hospitals were forced to transfer patients to private facilities and discharge all non-critical cases.
