Mozambican doctors announce resumption of strike from Monday

The Medical Association of Mozambique (AMM) announced this Wednesday a new 21-day nationwide strike starting on Monday, challenging wage cuts due to the new civil service table and the lack of overtime pay.

“This, again, is a national strike that will only provide minimal services and will start at 07:00 on Monday,” AMM president Milton Tayty explained to Louse.

The association justifies the decision to return to the strike after the suspension of another announced in December by the lack of results of agreements reached with the government during negotiations held at the end of last year.

“The government has promised to address the issue of wage cuts and the absence of overtime payments since February, but so far no results. On Saturday, we had a meeting with a new government team, different from the one that negotiated with the doctors in December, and who has now informed us that he will not fulfill what we had previously agreed on,” explained Milton Tatey.

Lusa contacted Mozambique’s health ministry, who promised to issue statements on the matter soon.

The Mozambican medical class already voiced its displeasure last November when they postponed the first strike after meetings with the economy and health ministers to “give the government time” to “implement the agreed principles”.

AMM points to “constant government interlocutors” and a lack of transparency about “how doctors’ salaries are handled or not” as some of the points that have determined the failure of negotiations so far.

The introduction of a new salary scale in the civil service is a matter of fierce debate from various professional classes, especially doctors, judges and teachers.

In addition to doctors, the Association of United and Solidary Medical Workers of Mozambique also went on strike last month against the application of the new salary scale, giving the government a 60-day period to settle at least part of the claims. , professionals.