STRIKES: Is this the beginning of the end?

UNIONISED health workers in Chingola have called off the strike and will June 15 revert to normal duties following the signing of an agreement for a 15 per cent pay rise by their national leaders. But workers at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka and other major health institutions in other parts of the country, however, are continuing with their strike and some clinics are closed.

Health Workers Union of Zambia (HWUZ) general secretary Lewis Mukosha on June 14 appealed to members countrywide to resume work June 15 because the unions had signed the 15 per cent salary increment and it was legally binding.

During a meeting held at Chingola’s Chawama Clinic on June 13, the health workers resolved that they had no option but to call off the strike because their national leaders had signed the agreement with the Government. HAWUZ Chingola branch chairperson Musonda Mabengwa and secretary Divan Mutanuka said the members were resuming work under protest. Mabengwa said after the meeting with the members that the district health union leadership had passed a vote of no confidence in their national leaders for signing the collective agreement without consulting the grassroots.

Mutanuka said it was unthinkable of the national leadership to sign the agreement when other negotiations were still going on.

Chingola District Health Management Team director of health Solomon Musonda applauded the union for its concern for the lives of people. Dr Musonda said saving lives was the reason health workers were employed and it was encouraging that the nurses and other health staff had resolved to put the interests of patients first.

Mukosha said union members withdrew their labour because of the delay in concluding the talks and now had no reason to continue with the strike action because the union leaders had signed the 15 per cent increment.

Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia Kitwe main branch chairperson Denny Maluti said union members should stop blaming the Government for the 15 per cent pay rise because that was what their national leaders had negotiated for.