Johannesburg – Community Healthcare Workers will now be employed as permanent staff by the Department of Health in line with the Labour Court Judgement.
Announcing the development, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] said: “Today, Tuesday 25 November 2025, it has signed and concluded an implementation agreement with the National Department of Health for the permanent employment of the Community Healthcare Workers in line with the Labour Court Judgement of January 2025”.
The signing of the agreement by both parties will see the department permanently employing all eligible 27 000 Community Healthcare Workers at Public Service Salary Level 2, effective from 1 September 2025.
Furthermore, parties agreed that the implementation date of 1 September 2025 shall be limited to a payment of 3 months’ net remuneration, while the commencement date for pensionable salaries of the Community Healthcare Workers shall start from 1 December 2025.
Equally, the department agreed to provide an interim stipend increase of R1 000 to the residual 16 687 Community Healthcare Workers for the financial year 2025/26 until their permanent appointment.
This adjustment will start from 1 September 2025 and remain in place until the permanent appointments are finalised for those eligible.
NEHAWU said the implementation agreement follows a protracted process of implementing the historic Labour Court Judgement, which directed that the Community Healthcare Workers were “deemed to be of an indefinite duration”, meaning that they must be appointed permanently.
“The agreement represents a major achievement in the fight and struggle for the permanent employment of the Community Healthcare Workers, and it advances the course of the creation of decent jobs,” the union said.
“Furthermore, the agreement is a turning point against the unabated exploitation of the Community Healthcare Workers and the workers in general, especially those that we, together with our federation COSATU, have identified as vulnerable workers or the precariat”.
NEHAWU said the agreement was also a progressive gain for the broader struggle of the working class.
“Our agreement shall facilitate the strengthening of the primary healthcare system as a foundational platform for the realisation of Universal Health Coverage through the National Health Insurance (NHI),” the union said.
“We have always premised our struggle for the permanent employment of the Community Healthcare Workers.”
NEHAWU said the work performed by Community Healthcare Workers was of critical importance in the context of the role of the Ward-Based Primary Health Care Outreach Teams.
Community Healthcare Workers are a key component of the re-engineering of the primary healthcare services towards building capacity for the full implementation of the NHI.
“This development must be welcomed as it is a key part of the current Phase 1 in the implementation of the necessary restructuring related to the NHI Act of 2024,” said NEHAWU.
“The Community Healthcare Workers have emerged in black communities as selfless and dedicated volunteers over many decades ago amidst the pervasive lack of access to healthcare, especially palliative care, under Apartheid.
“Thus, the Community Healthcare Workers have contributed significantly in improving the health status of our people, including through their pioneering health promotion campaigns.”
This contingent of healthcare workers has on many occasions proven to be the backbone of the healthcare system and plays an important role they play in promoting the health and well-being of our people.
NEHAWU said the department further agreed to finalise the implementation of the permanent appointment of the remaining 16 687 Community Healthcare Workers.
The department also agreed to the determination and implementation of a Token of Appreciation for Community Healthcare Workers who have reached pensionable age by no later than 31 January 2026.
“Key to the achievement of this implementation agreement, fundamentally, is saving and guaranteeing the job security of about 43 687 Community Healthcare Workers, but not limited to, with clear time-lines and benefits as opposed to the historic form of employment of this cohort of employees,” the union said.
Community Healthcare Workers had been subjected to continuous fixed-term contracts with salaries that have no bearing on their pensions and completely with no benefits over a long period of time.
“Indeed, this is a victory to be celebrated as families of Community Healthcare Workers will go to bed with assurance of their jobs being guaranteed,” NEHAWU said.
“We reiterate our perspective that the permanent employment of the Community Healthcare Workers is an investment in the healthcare system and will address the challenges encountering our healthcare system.”
