Kampala, Uganda | URN | Nurses and Midwives under their umbrella organization the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council have called off their impending strike after coming to an agreement with government.
The strike was called off after government committed to allocating 44.9 billion Shillings that will go towards providing a lunch allowance of 10,000 Shillings for 22 days. Originally, the nurses wanted government to give the 70 billion Shillings to go towards providing their lunch allowance.
The nurses last week vowed to go on strike until government allocates money for their lunch allowance. The nurses at the time of going on strike had decided to put down their tools since their lunch was an unfunded priority in the 2021/2022 budget that was passed last week by parliament.
The president of the UNMU, Justus Cherop Kiplangat says they have called off the strike because they believe government will honour its pledge to them.
” We talked to them and they promised to give us some money,” Kiplangat said. “It’s not what we wanted but it’s better than nothing. We hope to get the balance later on.”
Kiplangat says nurses countrywide should stay at their stations working.
Read Also: Uganda Nurses, Midwives issues December ultimatum to strike over Shs1b pledge, lunch allowances
Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the minister of state for primary health care told this publication the strike was called off after coming to an agreement.
“We appreciate the work that health workers especially nurses do,” Dr Kaducu said. “They are our biggest work force and are leading the fight against COVID-19 through vaccinating the people. We have agreed with the union that the strike be called off so that our health workers go to work as we look for finances to cater for their lunch.”
