By; Ben Musanje
The striking doctors have declined to call off their strike after failing to reach consensus with a team of government officials.
This was in a meeting between the multi sectoral committee set up by the cabinet and executive of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) at the Statistics house in Kampala in a bid to resolve the standoff.
Cabinet’s task force which included among others ministers Ruth Acheng, John Chrysostom Muyingo, Attorney General William Byaruhanga, Permanent secretaries and heads of civil service had pleaded with the medics to return to worker as government responds to their calls for pay rise but in vain.
Dispute started when the Attorney General William Byaruhanga referred to the UMA which unites the strikers as illegal saying the association leadership has no mandate to negotiate with government on such issues since the 2008 Labour Union Act provides the authority to trade unions.
This prompted the UMA Chairperson Dr Ekwaro Ebuku to caution Ministers in response against what he called intimidation by government which led to departure of the doctors with no resolution achieved.
However the State Finance Minister David Bahati called for calm from Medical Workers, pledging for further engagements.
Earlier, the Health Minister, Ruth Jane Aceng explained that the Health Ministry appreciates the working conditions of the medical workers, saying they are committed to improving the situation.
The Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana told the striking intern doctors that they can’t call themselves doctors and can’t demand salaries. He explained that what interns are paid is an appreciation, which can’t be termed as an allowance.
Doctors laid down their tools on Monday last week following protracted negotiations with government to give them a pay rise and improve their welfare in vain.
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