Borkena News Desk
TORONTO, Canada — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has reported challenges in implementing its overtime payment policy for employees due to budget shortages.
The recently introduced overtime payment rule for health workers was announced after months of nationwide strikes by physicians and other health professionals demanding livable wages. The policy appeared to be a government effort to address their concerns by providing additional compensation.
The rule includes overtime work performed after regular working hours, on weekends, and during holidays.
Every Ministry employee — including administrative staff — was entitled to overtime payments based on hourly wage calculations.
However, the Ministry has been unable to fully implement the policy, as the government appears unable to provide the required funding.
The Amhara, Oromia, and South Ethiopia regions, among others, have reported budgetary challenges in implementing the program. It remains unclear whether the Ministry has initiated discussions with the government to address the issue. The challenges have also raised broader questions about the government’s financial capacity, particularly amid recurring reports of public servants, including teachers, going unpaid for months in South Ethiopia.
Ethiopian health professionals conducted nationwide strikes for months last year despite government measures, including the arrest of several physicians. They said rising living costs had made their salaries insufficient to cover basic expenses and demanded improved compensation. The government’s introduction of the overtime payment policy appeared to be an attempt to respond to those demands, but its implementation is now facing financial obstacles.
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