@Lunga 22 September 2025 more from that month

My Journey in Establishing SAMLU

The road to establishing the South African Medical Laboratory Union (SAMLU) was not an easy one—it was born out of adversity and the harsh realities faced by professionals in the medical laboratory sector. I founded SAMLU because I witnessed structural injustices that have long been ignored in our sector. Unlike many industries, the medical laboratory field has no sectoral determination act and no bargaining council to safeguard the rights and working conditions of its professionals. This vacuum left countless workers, including myself, without proper protection. My own experience was a turning point. I was unfairly dismissed from my job, and when I sought recourse through the CCMA, I discovered that no council had jurisdiction to fight for me or any other laboratory professional. That deep frustration and injustice became the fuel that encouraged me to build SAMLU. SAMLU was not established for me alone—it was founded to create a voice, a platform, and a shield for all medical laboratory staff across South Africa. Our mission is to end the silencing of laboratory professionals, safeguard their social security, and establish the structures that the sector has been denied for far too long. What began as my personal struggle has now grown into a collective movement—a union determined to liberate the medical laboratory sector from decades of structural neglect and inequity.