Doctors to file court papers over pay

A doctors' organisation in Zimbabwe on Wednesday said it would file court papers to challenge a government decision to withhold nearly all of their salaries for the next two months.

The papers would be filed in the High Court on Thursday.

The salaries of around 400 junior doctors were docked because they took part in a strike over wages last month.

In a statement, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors' Association called the decision "an evil move" and hinted that doctors might not be able to afford to continue working over Christmas.

"Our members will deliberate today on whether or not they will afford to come to work or if they come to work what level of effort (they) will be dispensing their responsibilities," they said.

The doctors, who worked for state hospitals around Harare and Bulawayo, would have $264 (about R3 100) deducted from their salaries in December and January. The basic salary for many junior doctors is $283.

The doctors received small allowances for being on-call and for housing, on top of their salaries, which the organisation said was "meagre".

The strike has paralysed hospitals in the two cities. Doctors returned to work after they had been promised negotiations with government officials.