Labour Court To Rule On The Legality Of Doctors' Strike

The Labour Court is on Tuesday, 8 October 2019, expected rule on the legality of the ongoing strike by doctors at the country’s public health institutions.

In a statement on Monday, Health and Child Care Minister, Obadiah Moyo revealed that the government is eagerly waiting for the court’s verdict. He said:

Further to the statement issued by Ministry of Health and Child Care on Saturday, October 5, 2019, regarding the ongoing withdrawal of labour by some doctors, Government today (yesterday) the 7th of October 2019 has made an assessment of the situation at public health institutions and noted that some doctors did not take heed of the appeal and still chose to stay away from their work stations.

Government is, therefore, allowing the due legal process to continue with the Labor Court scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, 8 October 2019 at 14:30 hours wherein the Labor Court will determine the legality of the mass job action.

Doctors have been on strike since the 3rd of September this year, citing poor salaries which have rendered them incapacitated.

The government offered the doctors a 60 per cent salary increase which was rejected out of hand, with doctors demanding their salaries to be quoted in US dollars and paid the equivalent local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.

More: The Herald