…despite govt threatening a ‘no work no pay’ policy
Mathatisi Sebusi
THE Ministry of Public Service has threatened not to pay health workers who have been on strike for the past two weeks demanding an increase in their hardship allowances.
The health workers, located in remote areas, want the allowances hiked from M275 to M1000. They have been on strike since 13 May 2024.
They include doctors, nurses and other healthcare givers working in the three districts of Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka and Qacha’s Nek.
Speaking to the Lesotho Times yesterday, the health workers’ spokesperson, Tanki Ranthimo, said the government had not addressed them or pronounced itself on whether or not it will address their grievances during the past two weeks of their strike. Instead, he said they had been threatened by the Ministry of Public Service that if they do not work, they will not get paid.
He said health facilities in Mokhotlong, Qacha’s Nek and Thaba Tseka were only attending to emergencies.
He vowed they would continue with the strike until their grievances were resolved.
The Ministry of Public Service’s Principal Secretary, Makhoabane Lelimo, wrote a letter to the aggrieved health workers on the 14th of May 2024, directing them to stop the strike, claiming it was illegal.
She further told the health workers that if they stayed away from work, a no work no pay rule would be imposed on them.
Mrs Leimo urged the health workers to carry on with their normal duties while the issue of reviewing their allowances was being pursed with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
The health workers are however not budging.
