Nurses call off strike
The Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union’s General Secretary Paul Henry Bukenya told The Nile Post yesterday that they had decided to call off a nationwide nurses strike after government agreed to look into their demands.
Speaking after a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister, Bukenya said government plans to revise the salaries and allowances of the nurses.
“Government has given us up to Saturday to give us the final salary review and then we will know what a nurse can get and what a midwife can get,” Bukenya said.
“Government has given us a lot of support and we are going to make sure that the planned strike scheduled tomorrow we hold it to give room for negotiations," he added.
According to the letter, the 400% increment will raise the salary of the lowest paid nurse to Shs2.5 million plus Shs9 million to cover the cost of housing, medical, responsibility, transport, transfer, leave, funeral and overtime allowances for each member.
The union, an independent entity working to safeguard the professional, social and organisational interests of nurses and midwives, fronted the demand on November 27.
The minister of state for Health, Sarah Opendi said: "The salary review was submitted to cabinet and definitely government will enhance the salary of nurses and mid wives."
