Friday 17 July 2020

NURSES DEMAND $200K A MONTH


NURSES have written to the government demanding over $200 000 per month if their salaries are to continue being paid in local currency.

In the letter dated July 14 to acting Health minister Amon Murwira, the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) said their salaries are too low.

“If we are to negotiate for an RTGS amount … our salaries will be pegged at $203 332, which by merely looking at it, is unrealistic.

“We are aware that there have been efforts to misrepresent the position of the nurses by some quarters. We do not see it necessary to comment on this but we would want to factually bring you into our confidence as to why our members are demanding payment in US$ …

“Our economy is dollarising under the watch and sanction of the government.
“Charging and payment of goods and services is now principally done in US$ following the gazetting of Statutory Instrument 85 of 2020 on the 29th of March 2020,” the letter reads.
 Zina said on average, a nurse in South Africa is getting an equivalent of US$1 200 while Zimbabwean nurses get about US$60.

 This also comes after government angered striking nurses by cutting their salaries. Dongo said they are receiving many reports of nurses who didn’t get their salaries.
“Most of our members didn’t receive their salaries but some nurses received their salaries on Monday.

“This is not fair, it’s not acceptable, they are trying to use dirty tactics to silence us but they can’t win because what we are fighting for are issues that are affecting our daily lives. As for me I didn’t get anything and nurses are not happy with this development.

“We had a meeting with the government on Monday and they told us that we must come with demands in Zimbabwean dollars but our members rejected that; they want US dollars so we failed to agree with the government. No US$, no work.

“As nurses, we are going to continue with our strikes until the government listens to our concerns; at the moment it seems they are not taking our plight seriously,” Dongo said.. Daily News

0 comments:

Post a Comment