The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has called off its strike in the public sector following a compromise with the administration on Wednesday at the bargaining council.
The government has agreed that the ongoing pay discussions for 2023–2024 will include addressing and resolving any outstanding issues from the 2022–2023 wage agreement.
Nehawu urged members and workers along the picket lines to get ready for a peaceful return to work in a statement, noting that the strike they began earlier this month had yielded notable successes and results.
“With the might of the labor movement, we were able to force the government to renegotiate wage hikes for the years 2022–2023 with the bargaining council, which the administration had previously smugly said was finished and closed. In this regard, an agreement was reached about the augmentation of the settlement agreement’s 2022–2023 increment,” according to a statement from the union.
“After the strike, the government has realised the urgency of engaging on the draft MSLA framework through the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) processes within a six-month period,” the statement read.
According to Nehawu, their members and employees have proven their dedication to upholding their rights and engaging in collective bargaining, realising the grave consequences of this trend’s continued occurrence in both the public and private sectors.