Government has threatened to take disciplinary action against nurses who fail to report for duty saying the treasury has been instructed to look into the financial implications of their demands for salary increments.
In a statement released today, Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa urged striking nurses to call off their strike and report for duty without delay while government is looking into their grievances.
Parirenyatwa added that government acknowledged their grievances as genuine and valid thus requiring urgent attention saying the treasury has been instructed to look into the financial implications of the nurses demands with a view to amicably resolving them.
Below is the government statement signed by Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa:
Following representations by the nursing staff through Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA), and the subsequent running meetings between ZINA, Government and the Health Services Board, Government has acknowledged the nurses grievances as genuine and valid, and thus requiring urgent attention.
Government has since instructed Treasury to look into the financial implications of the nurses demands, with a view to resolving them amicably. In the light of this major concession by government, which has been made against well-known economic challenges facing our nation, in the interest of patients, and in order to avert loss of life through disruption of essential services, the reasons for calling for the industrial action no longer obtain.
Government thus appeal to the striking nurses to call off their actions to make way for harmonious industrial relations. This is even more urgent in view of the high mobility in the country related to the impending independence holiday period. As the minister responsible, I thus add my voice by urging the striking staff to go back to work without any further delay, to allow government through its appropriate arms to finalize decisions on the matter.
Against this auspicious background, any nursing staff which does not respond and promptly report for duty as assigned, will thus be deemed in breach of contract of employment and thus deserving of appropriate disciplinary action.
