In answer of my last post tonight,...... Hi Manelisi, being an emergency care technician is a highly and stressful job, in fact I have a hobby where I practice as an AEA on some weekends just to take my mind of things...... The thrills that accompany chasing around in a pilot car with a paramedic just does it for me........... Now as a fellow emergency care practitioner I advise you to remove racism from the job..... You are highly qualified, in fact higher than me...... However we still serve the public and every race in an emergency......... That been said, let me be more blunt to the point, I don't think your race have anything to do with your employment benefits, I represent paramedics and other emergency care personnel across South Africa, either at disp hearings or in the HPCSA, it is easy to judge a decision that we as independent practitioners take in a split second over a period of time, at scene we do not have that luxury...... I understand that emergency medical personnel is exstremly underpaid, especially for the work you guys do on a full time basis, something that I as a weekend warrior will never understand........ BUT it is common (basically the rule) that each practitioner will have a different pay structure and benefits, your contract will determine your benefits, kindly refer to your contract and then evaluate your position I can assure you that all of your fellow employees on the same level is paid differently, the HPCSA does not regulate this, you need to refer to the Basic employment Conditions Act in which you as ECT will receive above threshold, this means that you are excluded from provisions in this act, being a emergency medical practitioner, your hours are regulated differently but your contract would have been negotiated with you, same that you would have accepted. My suggestion rather will not be to follow the racial route but to negotiate with your employer, since this is matters of mutual interest........ Always remember that for me an d you race, greed, and religion plays no role and therefore at work it should not either. Hope this help. Rautenbach &Associates