DOCTORS’ GO-SLOW LOOMING OVER SLASHED ALLOWANCES

MBABANE  –  A go-slow by doctors and technical staff in public health institutions is looming after government slashed their on-call and standby allowances.

The reduction ranges from 30 to 50 per cent. Doctors and the technical staff were previously receiving 90 per cent of their annual basis salary as allowances.
The doctors and the technical staff contend that a newly-proposed Circular by government would reduce their on-call and standby allowance from 90 per cent of their annual basic salary to 60 per cent and 40 per cent for the technical staff.  They said this was in contravention of the Employment Act, 1980.

As a first step, the doctors have since filed an urgent application in the Industrial Court.
They want the court to interdict government from implementing its decision to pay 40 per cent to the technical staff and 60 per cent to professionals, of their annual salary across the board for on-call and standby allowances.

According to the doctors, the matter was urgent because government allegedly wanted to implement its decision in two weeks’ time.
The applicants (government doctors) also want the court to declare that  the decision by government to pay them as aformentioned instead of paying them in terms of Circular No.7 of 1993 would result in less favourable conditions of employment.

In her founding affidavit, Dr Zebenguni Mkhatshwa stated that on or about June 16, 1993, government issued out Establishment Circular No.7 of 1993. She submitted that the purpose of the Circular was to regulate claims and payments to the applicants (doctors and technical staff) of their standby and on-call allowance by government.

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