BCN-07 Zimbabwe doctors end strike without deal

232

ZCZC

BCN-07

ZIMBABWE-LABOUR-SALARIES-ECONOMY

Zimbabwe doctors end strike without deal

HARARE, Jan 11, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Doctors in Zimbabwe have ended a more
than month-long strike without winning a deal on higher salaries, their union
said Thursday, adding the government had pledged to address their grievances.

Hundreds of doctors in public hospitals walked out on December 1 demanding
salaries in US dollars, an increase in on-call allowances and an improvement
in drug supplies and equipment.

Their decision to return to work came days after teachers’ unions
announced a strike and the main civil service union said it was consulting
members after rejecting the government’s offer of a 10-percent pay rise.

“We have declared that the strike has ended as dialogue continues and we
expect that our members should start reporting for duty,” Mtabisi Bhebhe,
president of the Hospital Doctors Association, told AFP.

“Government has committed to address the salary issue and improve drug
supplies and supply of medical sundries and equipment.

“Poor remuneration and the current fuel shortages remain a challenge which
may hinder our members from reporting for duty consistently.”

Zimbabwe’s economy has been on a downturn for more than a decade with
shortages of cash, high unemployment and the government battling to pay its
workers as public services crumble.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over from long-time ruler Robert
Mugabe and won a disputed election last year, has pledged to revive the
moribund economy and attract foreign investors.

BSS/AFP/HR/0930