Health workers to go on strike

ZIMBABWE’S Health Apex Council says health workers in the public sector will as of Monday be on strike noting their grievances are not being addressed.

By Kuda Pembere
Some of the grievances are closure of negotiation space, failure to provide meaningful cost of living adjustment and failure to review the Regrading System.
In a letter to the Health Service Board (HSB), the Zimbabwe Health Apex Council (ZHAC) which represents several health workers unions said they arrived at this decision following a meeting held today.
“Following our meeting on the 17th of June 2022 at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, attended by the health worker association representatives, it was unanimously agreed that as the government health workers, represented by the Health worker Associations leaders, here undersigned, after having made numerous attempts to engage the employer with no success, do hereby notify your office of our state of incapacitation and the subsequent withdrawal of service the government health workers effective Monday 20 June 2022,” ZHAC said.

Restating their case, the ZHAC said inasmuch as they did not want to go on strike, the health workers have no means to go to work hence the declaration of incapacitation.
” The decision to withdraw our service is not taken lightly, but the workers are without means to execute their mandate,” said ZHAC.
Meetings according to ZHAC to negotiate salary adjustments were last held in April last year.

“Closure of negotiation space. It is important that we remind you, that we
have not had a bipartite meeting since April 2021. This is despite our repeated efforts to engage the board. We have written to you more than 5 times to you requesting a meeting to no avail.
Failure to provide a meaningful Cost of living adjustment. It is common knowledge that the economic conditions have deteriorated significantly in the last 6 months. This is clearly indicated by the rapid and precipitous fall in the interbank rate and the steep increase in inflation, now well over 130%. The loss of value of the local currency is apparent and evidenced by the governments decision to pay farmers in USD. We therefore repeat
our call for salaries USD.
Failure to review of non claimable health sector specific allowances-As agreed in the CBA 2 of 2018 ( i.e. on call, call out/standby,night duty, nurse managers’ and special health allowances) the last review did not adequately address the issues raised given that these allowances are
based on work done during odd hours with little compensation being offered by the employer ” ZHAC said.
Added ZHAC, “Failure to review the Regrading System. The failure of the board to regrade health workers as previously agreed. The last review of grades was done in 2012.
Donor funded nostro retention allowances. The boards failure to facilitate the timeous disbursement of the donor retention allowances. The board has previously communicated that this was at an advanced stage, however no meaningful progress has been made towards disbursement. The allowances ceased in 2020. There is little incentive to continue going for work in the health sector.”
ZHAC also noted that COVID-19 risk allowances were not coming on time.
“Failure to meaningfully and timeously Review of Covid 19 risk allowancesThese were last reviewed in 2022, currently they are at ZWL3000, ZWL 4500 and ZWL7500, as such are now very negligibleconsidering the exposure of the health workers during this pandemic. Health workers never stopped reporting for duty even when most public servants were at home,” said ZHAC.
The letter was copied to Vice President and Health and Child Care Minister Dr Constantine Chiwenga, his Deputy Dr John Mangwiro and Permanent Secretary Air Commodore Jasper Chimedza.

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