GOVT OPPOSES DOCTORS’ DEMANDS

MBABANE – Doctors and hospital technical staff have an uphill battle as government is not prepared to budge on the issue of on-call and standby allowances.

Yesterday, government filed a notice of intention to oppose the application where the doctors want the court to interdict the State 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 stand-by allowances. Doctors and the technical staff were previously receiving 90 per cent of their annual basic salary as allowances.

Government’s lawyer Naluthando Xaba from the chamber of the attorney general yesterday vigorously and successfully argued against the granting of an interim order in the matter.

The matter was before Industrial Court Judge President Sifiso Nsibande.
The reasons for opposing the application would be outlined in the detailed papers which the government is expected to file before December 28, 2017. 

The matter would then be argued on December 29, 2017. In their application, which had been filed under a certificate of urgency, the applicants (doctors and hospital technical staff) averred that the 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 per cent for the technical staff. 

They argued that this was in contravention of the Employment Act, 1980. They also argued that the matter was urgent because government wanted to implement its decision in two weeks time.

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