
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube last year introduced
austerity measures in a bid to arrest the economic decline, which the
government blames on former president Robert Mugabe’s regime.
The measures, however, have spawned a collapse of the local
currency introduced in February this year and seen incomes being eroded.
Doctors, who last year embarked on one of the longest job
boycotts as they pressed the government for better pay, said they will join
other health workers who
have also threatened to go on strike.
The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) said
negotiations with the government had failed, hence their resolution to go on
strike. “The Zimbabwe
Hospital Doctors Association would like to affirm its
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true position regarding the health service bipartite
negotiations,” the doctors said in their notice.
“Our members and alumni stand in solidarity with the Health
Apex position of issuing a 14-day ultimatum to the government following
unsuccessful negotiations concerning the welfare of all cadres in the health
service and beyond.”
ZHDA secretary-general Mthabisi Bhebhe said doctors had
been patient with the government and they felt their grievances were not being
taken seriously.
“Health workers have had enough of austerity and cannot
take anymore doses,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association said a meeting held on
Thursday last week resolved that workers in the health sector would go on
strike in the next two weeks
to force the government to review their salaries.
“The Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association is in support of the
position taken by the Health Apex following (Thursday’s) meeting held in
Harare; the employer is,
however, failing to be sensitive to the plight of its
employees by continuing to pay our members paltry RTGS salaries, whose original
value was long eroded
last October. We, therefore, support the Health Apex’s
position to maintain the 14-day ultimatum should the employer fail to respond
to our plea,” the
association said.
The nurses bemoaned the fact that prices of basic
commodities, transport, accommodation and general cost of living had continued
to go up, further making it
difficult for them to afford a decent lifestyle.
Other bodies representing health workers that resolved to
strike include the Government Therapists’ Association (GTA) and the Zimbabwe
Environmental Health
Practitioners’ Association (ZEHPA).
“The Government Therapists’ Association stands with the
Health Apex Council’s decision to declare a deadlock on cost of living
adjustment and subsequently giving the employer 14 days’ notice to decisively deal with
the pending issue since October 2018; GTA is showing disquiet in the failure by
the employer to award suitable remuneration for health workers,” GTA said
in a notice.
Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo last night said
he was yet to receive the ultimatums issued by the health professionals.
“I can’t comment on an issue that I have not yet seen,” he
said.
In April the government made a marginal review of salaries
of civil servants, but the unions say the increment has already been eroded by
inflation.
Teachers last week petitioned Parliament over the
deteriorating working conditions. The Almagamated Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe
(ARTUZ) said its members went on strike last week pressing for a salary review.
ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure was last week allegedly
abducted and severely assaulted by suspected state security agents, who accused
him of influencing
teachers to go on strike,.
The attack was condemned by the European Union and other
Western embassies.
Besides impending strikes, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
government is facing prospects of street protests organised by the main
opposition party, the MDC,
over the deteriorating economic situation in the country.
The government accuses civil society activists of
mobilising for violent protests to topple the president. Seven activists were
recently charged with treason
over the alleged plot.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Non-Governmental
Organisations (Nango) said it was worried about the crackdown against civil
society organisations(CSOs) by the government.
“Nango calls on government, in particular the security line
ministries, to desist from willy-nilly arresting of CSOs and targeting their
officials,” the association said in a statement.
“CSOs play a key role in contributing towards national
development and have never waivered from this role.
“It is, therefore, imperative to choose to dialogue rather
than arrest officials where the government may be ignorant on the work of NGOs.“Government should not set barriers or intimidate
institutions that aim to bring sustainable development to Zimbabwe.”
Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe in November 2017 promising
to turn around the economy and introduce reforms that promote democracy.
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