Zimbabwe police arrest more nurses on strike

October 23, 1981

Police arrested 72 striking nurses in the midlands city of Fort Victoria as labor unrest continued in Zimbabwe's schools and hospitals Thursday despite government warnings of tough action. Over 500 striking nurses and teachers were arrested Wednesday.

The teachers, who earn between $130 and $635 a month, and the nurses, who get from $247 to $600, are seeking better pay and working conditions.

Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, facing his first serious challenge from public workers after 18 months in office, said it would be easy to arrest the strikers and ''throw them into the bush for two or three months in order to make them feel the hardships of the struggle for liberation.''