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Doctors on strike and teachers to follow
Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa
August 20, 2008

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news200808/doctors200808.htm

It is feared that Zimbabwe will dissolve into complete anarchy if things don't change very soon. The Zimbabwe dollar continues to fall in value, food remains scarce and the workforce is feeling the brunt of the economic crisis. Now doctors at Harare and Parirenyatwa hospitals have embarked on industrial action demanding better working conditions and better salaries.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said hospitals have turned into 'death halls' rather than treatment centres due to acute shortages of drugs and equipment. The Coalition reported that last month, doctors earned Z$600 re-valued (less than US$10), and are penned to receive Z$4 600 (less than US$50). The salaries that doctors are earning have become so useless that they are now demanding to be paid in United States dollars.

Teachers have also said they are unhappy with the paltry salary increase given to them by the state. Takavafira Zhou from the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said: "The 448% on basic salary and 900% transport allowance and 290% housing allowance given this month in essence is a high sounding nothing. The increases amount to a net salary of only $1.1 trillion (re-valued) or $11 trillion (old value) on average. It falls far short of PTUZ demands of US$800 equivalent."

"Sad faces were the order of the day today as teachers learnt that the govt is continuing to pretend to pay teachers when in reality they are starving them." Zhou said teachers have resolved to demonstrate their anger and poverty when schools open.

Economists say Zimbabwe is sliding well beyond workable limits. John Robertson said: "I think most of us would claim that we have been in impossible territory for some time, but now that the restricted cash limits and low supplies of cash are keeping many companies' turnover below the amounts needed to even pay salaries, we seem to be entering much more threatening circumstances."

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