Botswana’s Striking Doctors Defy Court Order to Return to Work, Radio Says

Doctors and nurses in Botswana are defying a court order to return to work, paralyzing the health system in the world’s biggest diamond producer, the independent Gabz FM radio station said, citing physicians.

An industrial court on April 26 ordered workers in the health-care, power and water industries to end a strike over wages that started on April 18. State employees want a 16 percent increase in salaries, while the state is offering 5 percent. Annual inflation was unchanged at 8.5 percent in March.

The government obtained the court order by arguing that the unions had failed to maintain essential services operating at the legal minimum of 30 percent.

Botswana has vowed to slash a budget deficit that widened to about 10 percent of gross domestic product in the fiscal year through March after a decline in diamond demand hit revenue and sent the economy into recession. The economy expanded 7.2 percent in 2010 after contracting 4.9 percent in 2009, according to the Central Statistics Office.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jerry Bungu in Gaborone at jbungu@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net.

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