By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
The University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Unions has described the firing of resident doctor union president Brian Sampa as unfair, miscalculated, and unreasonable which makes the situation worse.
In a solidarity message to Resident Doctors Association of Zambia, UNZALARU says they stand with the doctors as they represent a reasonable cause.
Union President Andrew Phiri says that as essential workers, doctors are claiming their right place in society and in their workplace.
Mr Phiri has since advised government to pay doctors their dues and find a way to avoid a go-slow and recruit doctors that wait to be employed.
“We are surprised that those entrusted to oversee the affairs doctors are quick to selectively quote and effect the law against the doctors yet the same law that they are quoting forbids them from exploiting workers, there must be dignity accorded to a worker giving service to the nation especially essential workers” he said.
Mr Phiri said that the union finds it difficult to understand how essential workers can be treated in manner that defeats the very meaning of essential work.
“If indeed doctors are essential workers, as we are repeatedly reminded, why are they not on priority recruitment and payment of salaries? We are therefore condemning in strongest terms possible the attempts by government to intimidate, incarcerate and to dismiss a doctor,” he said.
Mr Phiri said that it is illogical to be sending doctors who were trained by the government to fill police holding cells while patients in hospitals are desperately waiting to be serviced by them.
“In the same vain, it is grossly unacceptable to have a huge number of doctors loaming the streets while there is a shortage of doctors in hospitals and clinics especially amidst the ravaging coronavirus pandemic as reported by health technical personnel, if the doctors are indeed essential recruit those that are not in employment and pay them on time, do not intimidate and arrest them, instead address the root causes that the doctors are facing,” he said.
