Johannesburg - Thousands of nurses at South Africa's biggest private hospital group Netcare
[JSE:NTC], are mulling a strike over better pay, union officials said on Friday.
About 5 000 workers led by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) are demanding an 11% pay hike after rejecting the company's 7.5% increment.
"We are currently in the process of mobilising our members at Netcare to exert pressure on the employer to improve their conditions of service and pay them a living wage," Denosa spokesperson
Asanda Fongqo said.
No one at Netcare, which also operates in the UK, was immediately available to comment.
Meanwhile, members of the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) have agreed to Netcare's 7.75%, the healthcare group said on Friday.
The increase would apply to administrative, nursing and support employees in 18 business units in the hospital division, it said.
Those employees earning a minimum salary would get a 9% increase. Both increases would be backdated to March 1, 2011.