Doctors strike looming

By NATION REPORTER

A NATIONWIDE strike by medical doctors is looming after government decided to deny them the 10.5 percent salary increase that has been awarded to other civil servants across the board.

The medical doctors have warned that they go on strike by downing tools if government will not respond to their demand and correct the situation.

Government has left out doctors on the 10.5 percent salary increase on grounds that the medical doctors were in middle management.

But the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) has warned of a national wide strike if government did not effect new salaries on their pay slips.

In an internal memorandum by Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RAAZ) dated 15th February, 2023 and signed by its general secretary DR Monday Sichula, the doctors have demanded that they should also receive the 10.5 percent salary increase awarded to civil servants.

“The resident Doctors Association of Zambia national executive held a consultative meeting with the membership on 13th February, 2023 to discuss the discrepances that were noted in the medical officers’ salary increament for 2023. The membership resolved that all medical officers should receive the 10.5 salary increment. The RDAZ national exective committee shall continue engaging relevant offices. If there is no proper response by 1st March, 2023, doctors will down tools until the matter is corrected,” Dr Sichula said.

Dr Sichula stated that the Resident Doctors Association shall continue representing the interest of its membership and ensure that doctors were not deprived of the rewards that other managers were receiving in the same system. 

The planned strike by the medical doctors follows their omission by government from the 10.5 percent salary increment for civil servants.

Earlier this year, government announced a 10.5 salary increase percent across the board for all civil servants following a successful labor bargain with the unions.

But Doctors have been omitted from that increment with most of them only receiving about five percent which has riled them and they are now planning to down their tools as they demand that government should award then the 10.5 percent increase.

And earlier in the month Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) general secretary Roy Tolopu confirmed that the doctors were aggrieved, saying that they had reached a breaking point and that it was only a matter of time before they downed tools.

Dr Tolopu said the ZMA and Resident Doctors had made efforts to engage Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Health but that nothing has been resolved so far.

However the Civil Servants Allied Workers Union of Zambia said the 10.5 percent increment does not carter for Doctors because they are at Management level.