Zimbabwe health workers' strike enters fourth week
By Norm Dixon
A strike by Zimbabwe's nurses and junior doctors entered its fourth week on November 18.
More than 10,000 health workers are demanding a pay increase of 30%, the restoration of the end-of-year bonus and increased allowances. The workers resumed their strike on October 28 after the government reneged on a promise to resume negotiations following an earlier strike that involved most of Zimbabwe's public sector workers. Major hospitals have suspended their operations.
President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front government has responded with sackings and restrictions on democratic rights. All strikers have been dismissed and strike leaders detained before being released by the courts.
On November 11, a national protest against Mugabe's handling of the dispute was called, sponsored by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and Zimbabwe Human Rights. The government banned the protest and deployed riot police at strategic points throughout the capital, Harare.
When protesters attempted to march, police used tear gas and batons to drive the demonstrators off the streets. In response to this brutal treatment, the ZCTU called a two-day general strike on November 12 and 13.
While the dispute raged, Mugabe angered workers by jetting off to Rome to the World Food Summit. Air Zimbabwe engineers refused to service the aircraft chartered to take the president to Italy.