Uganda’s minister for Public Service Hon Wilson Muruli-Mukasa has given striking health workers up to the end of this month to either report back to work or get fired because their protest contravenes Public Service laws.
The medics under their professional bodies; Allied Health Professional, and Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU) announced industurial action on Monday 16th May 2022 and Thursday 26th May 2022 protesting low renumeration yet government has consistently pledged to enhance pay for scientists. The health workers also demand for better working conditions in health facilities.
In a press statement released today, Muruli-Mukasa says the medics’ protest contravenes section 8(a)and (b) of Public Service Negotiation, Consultative and Dispute Settlement Machinery Act, 2008, which situpilates that commencement of industirial action should follow a ninenty-day notice after exhaustion of all avenues of coincilliation, arbitration, and settlement of dispute with the employer who in this case is government.
“In this regard, government is calling all Allied Professional Health Workers, Nurses and Midwives to report to duty by Monday 30th May, 2022. By failing to do so, they will be considered to have abandoned duty and resigned accordingly.” Muruli-Mukasa’s statement reads in part.
In the statement, Muruli-Mukasa who doubles as acting minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, directs District Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and Hospital Directors to take stock of workers in government health facilities and declare vacant positions “in line with laid down procedures.”
The announcement to strike followed a series of other strikes by health workers in Uganda raising same issues related to welfare. Several of them, however have, have later abandoned the idea and called off the strikes.
The ministers statement follows a letter he wrote this week urging the medics to go back to duty as their issues have been resolved. However, on Friday, UNMU president Mr Justus Cherop Kiplangat insisted that the ministers letter showed disparities in how their members will earn. He said a nurse with a degree gets Shs2m and a medical doctor with a degree gets around Shs4m, the amounts he said send signals that nurses are not valued even when they spend around the same period in school to obtain a degree.
The minister says after high-level consultations with cabinet, Prime Minister’s office, PS Ministry of Health, Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, pay enhancement has been budgeted for in the next financial year which starts in July.
