Government remains open to dialogue with striking doctors
to find a lasting solution, but those discussions should be carried out while
health workers are at work, Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo said
yesterday.
Crucially, Government will implement the 60 percent salary
adjustment that was agreed with the medical practitioners during recent collective
bargaining.
Further, Government was unequivocal that it was unable to
pay health workers in United States dollars nor at the interbank rate, but
would implement the percentage based increment agreed during the negotiations.
Dr Moyo said all provisions of the law will be pursued in
an effort to locate permanent solutions to the challenges bedevilling the
health sector.
He said this yesterday while fielding questions from
journalists during the 36th Cabinet decision matrix in Harare yesterday.
“I want to appeal to doctors that our doors are always
open,” said Dr Moyo. “We are open to dialogue until we get solutions, but let
us dialogue while we are at work.”
On the 60 percent salary adjustment agreed during
collective bargaining, Dr Moyo said: “That approval stands. Government is
guided by the law that is why we went to the courts. We are following what the
law states and we shall follow the law. There is no way we will go against what
the law says.”
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister
Monica Mutsvangwa said Cabinet noted that the strike by doctors disregarded
efforts made by Government.
“The strike action disregards the significant efforts
demonstrated by Government in its unwavering commitment to address their
concerns,” she said.
“Such efforts include the recent upward review of their
salaries and allowances, which should be in their accounts before the end of
this month.
“The doctors, by continuing with the job action, are also
in flagrant defiance of the court order which ruled their strike as illegal and
ordered them to return to work forthwith. Doctors should value the sanctity of
human life above all else and offer their critical services to patients.”
In an interview last night, Public Service, Labour and
Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said Government was keen to continue
engaging the National Joint Negotiation Council (NJNC) to discuss civil
servants’ welfare.
“A number of consultations with the Apex Council through
the NJNC have to take place,” she said. “Once a figure has been agreed upon, we
then seek Treasury concurrence. The price hikes continue to affect the
purchasing power. I am hoping that the bonuses will help ease the burden of
rising costs, especially of basic commodities.”
Minister Nzenza’s intervention followed a statement from
the Apex Council yesterday that said “civil servants are severely
incapacitated” and may struggle to report for work.
Apex said the 76 percent of cost of living adjustment
(COLA) negotiated last month has been eroded by inflation.
Meanwhile, Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet had also been
briefed by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July
Moyo on progress made on the roll-out of the Expanded ZUPCO Mass Transit
System.
The strategy by Government was meant to further cushion the
commuting public, including civil servants, from the prevailing rising costs of
public transport services.
“The expanded ZUPCO Mass Transit System incorporates
commuter omnibuses and more significantly, will extend the ZUPCO bus service to
rural areas,” she said. “The Minister (Cde Moyo) informed Cabinet that an
assessment exercise undertaken by ZUPCO indicated that a total of 923
conventional buses are required to fully satisfy demand.
“The current deficit of 415 conventional buses will thus be
covered by the 1 000 commuter omnibuses, which are now being incorporated under
the ZUPCO Mass Transit System.” Herald
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