5 October 2001: Malawi health workers strike

Podcast: On This Day in Working Class History · Working Class History

Opublikowano: 2026-10-05

On this day, 5 October 2001, workers at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, launched a sitdown strike for better pay. In particular, the workers were complaining about wages and additional allowances, which were considerably lower for health workers than they were for workers in the justice system. The strike shut down almost all of the 1500-bed facility, with only a few beds remaining open in the Orthopaedics and burns departments. The strike was primarily by nurses, but also included support staff and doctors. The government responded by relocating some strikers, deploying armed police, reportedly using tear gas...