THE Health Workers Union of Zambia (HWUZ) has appealed to the Government to formally direct public health institutions managements to withdraw all the charge letters issued to health workers who participated in the strike.

HWUZ president, Chrispin Sampa said in Ndola yesterday that although the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Velepi Mtonga, had indicated to his union that the process of withdrawing the charge letters had started, there was need to formalise the whole process.

"We would like to appeal to the Government to issue a circular to all hospital managers and district health authorities directing them to withdraw the letters to make sure that there are no excesses on the part of managers," he said.

Mr Sampa has further appealed to President Rupiah Banda to consider extending the pardon to salaries because it was not necessary for some money to be deducted from salaries while the affected person had been forgiven.

He said the Government had acknowledged that the grievances which were raised by the striking health workers were genuine.

"For the sake of harmony, the pardon should be made in writing. The irony is some money will be deducted from salaries while there is a pardon at the same time. What the workers need is education in industrial and labour issues and not to have their salaries deducted," Mr Sampa said.

President Banda announced on Saturday that he had pardoned all the health workers who participated in an illegal strike while they would have money deducted from their salaries for the days they stayed away from work.