A section of medical leaders under Uganda Medical Workers’ Union and Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union have agreed to resume work effective Thursday after holding talks with governemnt officials in the Ministry of Public Services on Wednesday.
The two umbrellas issued a joint statement saying the Industrial action called by the Uganda Medical Association, observing that the strike organized by the leaders of Uganda Medical Association involves members of the two unions whose prior consent was not sought and that it is not only procedurally wrong but that it is undermining the very process of the ongoing negotiations between the unions and government
Aggrey Sanya the Secretary General of Uganda Medical Workers’ Union together with Paul Henry Bukenya of Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union issues a statement and below we produce it unedited;
We the leaders of Uganda Medical Workers’ Union on one part acting jointly with leaders of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union on the other part, having held a consultative meeting with the Government representative in the Ministry of Public Service on the 08″. day of November, 2017 on the matter of the Industrial action called by the Uganda Medical Association;
Observing that the stnke organized by the leaders of Uganda Medical Association Involves members of the two unions whose prior consent was not sought and that it is not only procedurally wrong but that it is undermining the very process of the ongoing negotiations between the unions and Government; Agreeing that though the strike was wrongly called, the promoters of the said strike have raised pertinent issues of importance to the workers but with remedies that look unrealistic thereby calling for harmonization of proposals made through the collective Bargaining process by the parties that are legally mandated to do so.
Considering that the strike action has raised divergent opinions that call for further consultations with the workers to ascertain reasonable representativeness and to avoid a re-occurrence of similar ind.trial actions that could inflict further pain on the people.
We the leaders of the two workers’ unions namely Uganda Medical Workers Union and the Uganda Nurses and Midwiv. Union having held a consultative meeting with the Government representatives from the Ministry of Public Service and that of Health hereby communicate to all the health workers as follows;
I) Government has agreed withthe tw0 unions to fast track negotiations to ensure enhancement of salaries for all the health workers.
2) That given the divergent views that have arisen as a result of this industrial action, the unions should within a period of two weeks from the date of this release complete consultations ,vith the workers to harmonize proposals ready for recommencement of negotiations with the Government.
3) That all workers should resume work effective Thursday 9th November 2017 to allow negotiations to proceed uninterrupted and to comply with clause 11 of the Recognition and Procedural Agreement which provides that;
(I) “The union agrees not to resort to strike action over any subject for negotiation and consultation specified in Appendix 2, unless and until the machine, for negotiation and consultation provided for under the Act has been resorted to and exhausted”.
The above being the case It shall be self-defeating for health workers to maintain a strike at a time when Government has accepted to remedy the situation and provided audience to dialogue on the matter.
We should allow dialogue to prevail and only go on strike if a disagreement or dead-lock is reached and declared as so if the unions reach a disagreement with Government an Industrial action shall be called.
The leadership of both unions fully appreciates the salary disparities and the deplorable and precarious working conditions under which the health workers are working and are committed to engaging the Government through all lawful means to ensure redress.