(Last Updated on January 1, 2016 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – Health workers have threatened not to report for duty today if their outstanding full salaries and bonuses are not paid, a move that is likely to cripple service delivery at health institutions.
This comes after Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that nurses and doctors among other civil servants will be paid their December salaries on January 5 2016.
Through their unions, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association and Zimbabwe Nurses Association, nurses and doctors have vowed not to go to work until their salaries are paid.
Although the Ministry of Health and Child Care had proposed to give them transport allowances, they have rejected the offer arguing that it was not just about transport.
“We demand our full salaries and bonuses so that we and our families live in dignity.
“We advise the Mini that doctors, nurses and other health workers will fail to come to work with effect from January 1 should the employer fail to provide a meaningful bailout package to cover transport expenses, daily living allowances and basic expenses.
“We reject and condemn with the contempt it deserves the ill advised move by Dr Gwinji, to award paltry US $1 per day as transport allowances to unpaid, suffering and disgruntled health workers,” said the medical personnel representatives.
“Dr Gwinji must be reminded that we need a holistic revision of attitudes and discarding of the casual approach towards the payment of health workers.
“We have long proposed the availing of sustainable non monetary incentives as a way of rewarding health workers. This proposal was thrown in the dustbins,” they argued.