Nurses working at public health institutions have implored the Government to improve their salaries and conditions of service and have requested a meeting with their employer within the next 14 days.
In a letter to the Health Services Commission (HSC), dated 24 May 2023 and addressed to the HSC acting secretary-general Angelbert Mbengwa, Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president Enock Dongo said nurses have been pushed to the limit of their endurance. He wrote:
<blockquote>
Firstly it is a matter of great regret that precedent is seemingly showing that the plight of nurses is not an issue of concern to the employer.
The Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel, which is supposed to be the forum in which issues are discussed has been deliberately made useless as it has not met in the past two years despite our persistent request for it to sit and discuss issues.
As nurses, our morale is at its lowest ever. We are working under extremely poor conditions that are not only unsafe to patients but even unsafe to ourselves.
Even our capacity to withstand pain has been pushed to the extreme because on a daily basis, we see patients dying simply because basic medication and equipment that could potentially save their lives are not in stock at our hospitals.
</blockquote>
The amended Health Services Act prohibits public healthcare workers from striking for more than 72 hours.
Health workers, who go on strike face disciplinary action, while organisers of such strikes can face imprisonment of up to six months or both.
But Dongo said threatening nurses with arrest or withholding the letter of good standing does not address the challenges that they are facing. He said:
<blockquote>
We, therefore, urge our employer to have a listening ear and seriously consider our plight. To refuse to meet us is not the answer.
To simply say we will arrest you if you strike is not the answer. To withhold the necessary letter of good standing so as to sabotage our efforts to seek employment in other jurisdictions is not the answer.
We, therefore, kindly, but urgently request a meeting with you and interested stakeholders within the next 14 days so as to find solutions for the good of our health sector.
</blockquote>
Contacted for comment by <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200012090/nurses-put-govt-on-notice">NewsDay</a>, Mbengwa said he had not yet received the letter. 
He added that should the commission receive the letter, it would “look into the issues raised”.
Nurses currently earn US$200 in allowances and another U$100 in local currency which they say does not meet their basic needs.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Nurses Demands Meeting With Health Services Commission

Zimbabwe’s health workers have condemned a new law that outlaws any industrial action, saying it will exacerbate the exodus of health professionals.
The Health Service Amendment Act which came into force on Tuesday prohibits health workers who are classified as an “essential” service from striking for more than three days.
The Act stipulates that those who do not comply face a fine or imprisonment of up to six months.
Enock Dongo, president of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) said the new piece of legislation takes away health workers’ right to protest. He said:
<blockquote>
After the rejection of the bill by various stakeholders, they still went ahead to pass it. It is very unfortunate. The right to protest has been taken away.
… They tried to be clever, saying we are allowed to strike for three days, but we all know that even when we down tools for more days they do not want to negotiate.
</blockquote>
According to the Health Services Board (HSB), Zimbabwe has lost more than 4,000 doctors and nurses to the UK and other countries since 2021. Said Dongo:
<blockquote>
When you threaten health workers with jail, how do you expect them to discharge their duties?
This will affect every citizen, nurses will just adopt a ‘go-slow’ [approach to work].
</blockquote>
Norman Matara, the president of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said:
<blockquote>
This law has taken us two steps backward. We have been trying to fight brain drain. 
Further frustration of health workers would lead to more people leaving. This bill will bring more negatives than positives.
This bill was widely rejected by all health professionals and even after the parliamentary consultations, this bill was rejected by the people.
To see the bill being drafted into law without amendments is quite sad.
</blockquote>
Government health workers have been demanding a living wage of US$540 a month but the government has said it cannot afford to meet their demands.
Nurses in Zimbabwe are paid less than US$100 a month excluding allowances. | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jan/12/health-workers-in-zimbabwe-dismayed-as-law-curbing-strikes-is-passed">The Guardian</a>

Health Workers In Zimbabwe Condemn Law Curbing Strikes

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week signed into law the Health Services Amendment Bill which among other things, makes it illegal for government health workers to embark on industrial action lasting more than three days.
The Health Service Amendment Act stipulates that during job action, government health workers must continue to provide emergency services.
Under the Act, the old Health Services Board (HSB) was upgraded to a full commission, that is, the Health Services Commission (HSC) which set health workers’ conditions of service.
Health workers are now independent of the Public Services Commission (PSC), just like the judiciary, defence forces and police.
The restrictions on the health workers’ right to strike are contained in Section 16A of the new Act which says health services shall be deemed an essential service as defined in the Constitution. It reads:
<blockquote>
Notwithstanding anything in the Labour Act, the Health Service shall be deemed as an essential service referred to in section 65(3) of the Constitution.
No collective job action, whether lawful or unlawful, shall continue for an uninterrupted period of 72 hours or for more than 72 hours in any given 14-day period and notice of any collective job action must be given in writing 48 hours prior to the commencement of such collective job action.
</blockquote>
The Act says anyone inciting or organising collective job action in defiance of the new conditions can be tried for a criminal offence and if found guilty fined up to level four or jailed for six months.
Government workers are permitted to go on strike but during job action, they must provide the skill, expertise, care and service to patients in a medical emergency or needing critical or intensive care. | <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/prolonged-health-workers-strikes-now-illegal/">The Herald</a>

Govt Outlaws Prolonged Strikes By Health Workers

Doctors, nurses and other health workers employed by the government have been threatened with dismissals if they go on strike for more than three days.
The Health Services Commission (HSC), which replaced the Health Services Board (HSB), issued the threat in a leaked memo.
According to the memo, strikes must not take more than 72 hours if they ever happen. Part of the memo reads:
<blockquote>
Health Services Board has been replaced by the Health Services Commission. Health services are classified as critical services and no one should be denied access to emergency services or ICU services, even during a strike.
Striking by health workers is almost impossible. If a strike happens, it must not last more than 72 hours.
All those intending to strike must give the HSC a 48-hour written notice.
HSC has the power to deregister any member from professional body registers after disciplinary procedures.
</blockquote>
Thousands of Zimbabwean health workers have left the country for greener pastures over the past few years.
In the past, the government has fired health workers for taking part in industrial action demanding living wages.
In August 2022, the Ministry of Health and Child Care fired Robert Emmanuel Chiduku, the leader of the Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU).
Chiduku was found guilty on charges of conducting Union business during business hours on work premises without the employer’s consent. | <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/public-health-workers-given-stern-warning-over-strikes/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

Nurses Latest News

Latest Jobs