By Ritah Kemigisa
The leadership of the Nurses and Midwives Union is urging all its members to return to work immediately.
This is after the government finally yielded to pressure and committed to provide at least Shs44.9 billion for their lunch allowances.
The Union’s president Justus Cherop says they have been convinced to call off their industrial action because this time they have commitment from the finance minister himself.
The Nurses and midwives under the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union went on strike over lunch allowances estimated at Shs70bn, vowing not to return to work until the money was included in the 2021/2022 financial year budget.
They now return to work after the government promised to provide Sh10,000 to each nurse per day for 22 days as opposed to the Shs15,000 pledged by the president.
According to the state minister in charge of primary health care Dr. Joyce Kaducu, the balance of the money will be provided in the 2022/2023 financial year and the mid-term.
Meanwhile, this comes a day after the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns also announced a sit down strike, with effect from 17th May 2021, over issues relating to their welfare.
According to the federation’s president Dr Faith Nabushawo, they took the decision after the government failed to consider their allowance increment in the 2021/22 national budget.
