Doctors and nurses in Zimbabwe returned to work on Saturday after suspending their strike without their demands being met, accusing the authorities of having posed "
threats
" to workers.
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The doctors' and nurses' associations said in a statement that they had noted with "
great concern (...) the attempts of certain authorities to threaten and intimidate employees
", without giving further details.
"
Asking for a living wage should never be considered a crime
," they said.
As the government is slow to engage in new wage negotiations, employees in the medical sector have decided to temporarily halt the strike that began on Monday for humanitarian reasons.
They gave the government 14 days to respond to their demands.
The suspension of the strike was decided "
to avoid any further loss of life
", they said.
“
It is never the intention of employees in the health sector to walk away from those who need their help
,” the associations said in a joint statement.
52 euros per month
Doctors and nurses had gone on strike to protest against their salary conditions in this country plagued by a new financial crisis.
In Zimbabwe, nurses earn 18,000 Zimbabwean dollars a month, or about 55 dollars (52 euros).
Zimbabwe's economy is plunged into a deep crisis which has notably led to the withdrawal of international donors due to an unsustainable debt.
The invasion of Ukraine has made matters worse, with Russia being the main supplier of wheat and chemicals used in local agriculture in Zimbabwe.
Inflation hit 131% in May, bringing back memories of hyperinflation over a decade ago.
Rising prices had gotten out of control, and the central bank issued a $100 trillion note in 2008, which has since become a collector's item.
The government then abandoned its local currency for the US greenback and the South African rand as official currencies.
But in 2019, the Zimbabwean dollar was reintroduced, and quickly lost value.
Read alsoZimbabwe: inflation soars at more than 130%
Zimbabwe, southern Africa's former breadbasket, has been struggling for two decades with an unending economic crisis, born of the forcible eviction of white farmers during a disputed land reform and aggravated by corruption widespread.
