Unpaid nurses strike in Sudan’s Northern State

On Sunday, the nurses of Dongola Teaching Hospital in Sudan’s Northern State entered into an open-ended strike because of non-payment of their October incentives.

Activists told Radio Dabanga that the strike has led to complete paralysis and deterioration of health conditions in the hospital that has been without a medical director or administrator amid lack of the most basic elements for six months.

They explained that the authorities have blamed the non-payment of lack of liquidity in the town.

West Kordofan strike lifted

On Wednesday, the workers of Babanusa in West Kordofan decided to lift the comprehensive strike, which has lasted for a week after the payment of salaries on Tuesday.

Activists from Babanusa said the strike has continued until Tuesday in protest against the non-payment of salaries for the month of October, which has led to complete paralysis in all government facilities.

This week, the Commissioner of Babanusa threatened the workers’ leaders with arrest under the emergency measures in the event the strike continues.

An activist from Babanusa said the problem is that even if the salaries are received, they would be in the form of cheques. However, there is not enough liquidity in the banks to cover the salaries and that five of the 14 localities in West Kordofan have no banks at all. Workers’ cash-flow woes are further stressed by a major surge in prices of consumer goods in the markets.

He said the salaries do not meet two per cent of the necessary living needs of workers.