Ministry orders deduction of pay for striking doctors

Government is heading for a showdown with junior doctors at public hospitals after it ordered chief executive officers and provincial medical directors to deduct salaries of all junior doctors who took part in last month's strike.

In a letter dated November 27 2014, Health and Child Care secretary Gerald Gwinji ordered hospital CEOs at the country's four main referral hospitals to submit names of the doctors who participated in the industrial action to the Salary Service Bureau to enable the deductions to be made this month.

Part of the letter, which was also copied to the Health Service Board, read: "It is noted that junior doctors were on industrial action during the period 27 October to 14 November 2014. Please be advised that the days members were not reporting for duty should be treated as leave without pay. Therefore, names of members who were absent from duty should be submitted to Salary Service Bureau for processing and copy this office."

Gwinji added: "Furthermore, retention allowances should not be paid for the days members were not on duty. Deductions should be effected on the December 2014 pay sheet."