Nehawu strike suspended as union reaches agreement with government

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has suspended its public sector strike after reaching a settlement agreement with the government at the bargaining council on Wednesday.

The government has agreed that the residual matters from the 2022/23 wage agreement shall be dealt with and concluded as part of the current 2023/24 wage negotiations. 

In a statement, Nehawu called on its members and workers at the picket lines to prepare for an orderly return to work, as they said the strike they embarked on earlier this month had registered significant achievements and outcomes.

“Through the strength of the workers’ power, we managed to ensure that the government goes back to the bargaining council to negotiate salary increases for the year 2022/23, something that up to now government arrogantly said was concluded and closed. In this regard, an agreement was concluded on the augmentation of the 2022/23 increment in the settlement agreement,” the union said in a statement. 

It also said the government has recognised the need to have a minimum service level agreement (MSLA).

“In the wake of the strike, the government has now appreciated the urgency of engagement on the draft framework on the MSLA through the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) processes within a six-month period,” it said. 

The union went on to say the strike disclosed that despite their union affiliations, workers in the public service are generally united, given the support they received from workers who are affiliated or belong to other unions, both practical involvement in their action but also in messages of support.

Nehawu said their members and workers have demonstrated their commitment to defending their rights and collective bargaining, appreciating the dire implications of the persistence of this tendency in the broader public sector and private sector.

“It is within this background that the union is now announcing the suspension of the public service strike. To this effect, a PSCBC special council on wage negotiations is convened today at 3pm to process the settlement agreement together with salary adjustments for the financial year 2023/24.”

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