Ebola: Workers at Congolese treatment center strike over unpaid salaries

Dozens of people working at an Ebola treatment center in the Rwampara general hospital in northeast Congo went on strike Monday over unpaid salaries and bonuses.

The hospital was shuttered by protesting staff, who blocked the road leading to the medical facility and burned tires in front of the main gate.

The striking staff includes epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers and gravediggers who say they have not been paid by the Congolese authorities.

Some of the center's health workers and those working on the ground began striking last week, accusing authorities of failing to pay their wages since the outbreak began in May.

“We are burying people who have been in their homes for four days, and you can clearly see, they died from Ebola. We are burying people in plastic bags to protect ourselves”, said John Bahati Nguna of the burial team.

“Now they are coming from Kinshasa, claiming to be the bosses, and staying in hotels. They eat well, they sleep well and don't even know what’s happening on the ground”, he added.

“We haven't been paid. It's been 45 days. As they said, with great bitterness, we haven't been paid,” said Olivier Duciel, who works on a team raising awareness about Ebola in the community.

The Congolese authorities declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15, after the disease had been transmitting for weeks without official detection, according to the World Health Organization. The latest outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.