Community health care workers in the Frances Baard District have returned their new “one size fits all” uniforms, delivered this week, as they were sized based on measurements taken six years ago.

COMMUNITY health care workers (CHWs) in the Frances Baard District have returned their new “one size fits all” uniforms, delivered this week, as they were sized based on measurements taken six years ago.

The CHWs were unable to squeeze themselves into the uniforms, where both men and women were given the same shirts.

National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers Union (Nupsaw) provincial organiser Thapelo Thole pointed out that the physiques of the workers, who were contracted by the Northern Cape Department of Health, had changed over the years.

“The majority of the uniforms do not fit. Some of the CHWs have either expanded, become thinner, or have fallen pregnant, while a number of workers retired or passed away. There were no trousers or jackets included in the order and the material does not match the colour or quality of the samples. The material is thin and will tear apart after the first wash,” said Thole.

He added that the pockets were not the standard size and the armholes of each shirt were mismatched.

“One sleeve is too tight while the other armhole is too loose. Men are being turned into drag queens because they have to wear women’s blouses, where the buttons struggle to close. It appears to be cheaply made out of reject material.”

Thole stated that CHWs in the John Taolo Gaetsewe, Pixley ka Seme, ZF Mgcawu and Namakwa districts had yet to receive their uniforms, although they indicated that they would also refuse to wear them.

“A petition was handed to the Department of Health this week expressing the unsuitability and unacceptability of the uniforms.”

He estimated that the uniform tender came at a cost of around R4 million.

“The measurements for these uniforms were taken in 2018. We do not know if a refund can be secured as the uniforms for about 500 CHWs could have been sitting in a storeroom for years. The procurement process must be investigated because there is no value for money.”

Thole believed that it would have been more cost-effective to offer the CHWs a uniform allowance to enable them to purchase their own clothing and embroider on the departmental logo.

“Our members are being exploited,” he concluded.

The Department of Health had not responded to media enquiries by the time of publication.