Medical Workers Union has sued striking doctors for engaging in ‘illegal industrial action’
By Ruth Anderah:
The Uganda Medical Workers Union has dragged the striking doctors to the High Court for engaging in what its describes as illegal industrial action.
The union has also sued the Secretary General of the Uganda Medical Association Dr.Ebuku Ekwaro and Workers MP Dr. Sam Lyomoki demanding for damages resulting from announcing a strike without following the prescribed legal procedures.
According to the documents before court, the Uganda Medical Workers Union, the National Organisation of Trade Unions and the Uganda Nurses and Midwives claim they are the only organisations mandated to hold negotiations on behalf of health workers with government.
Now they want court to issue permanent orders barring any other persons from purporting to represent health workers.
The union also accuses Dr.Ebuku of having no mandate to call for the health Workers strike since he is not working in any public/government facility to purport to represent the socio -economic interests of public health workers.
For that matter the union wants all the on-going negotiations between government , the Uganda Medical Association and Dr. Ebuku be declared null and void and instead order government to hold such negotiations with the mandated bodies.
The Uganda Medical Association last week on Monday announced a sit down strike of all public medical practitioners until such a time government shall meet their demands that include better salaries and improved standards of service .
