The strike entered its third day yesterday, leaving most
major public hospitals paralysed, while
critically-ill patients were being turned away.
At Harare’s Parirenyatwa Hospital, the NewsDay crew saw
patients lying on pavements unattended to. Some of them had come from far away
for reviews for chronic diseases, while others sought treatment for ailments
such as hypertension and diabetes.
A desperate patient said: “We have wasted our transport
money coming for check-ups as per our scheduled reviews. I am supposed to do
blood tests, but was told to come back again because doctors and nurses are on
strike.”
In Bulawayo, nurses who have been on a go-slow, joined the
strike and were not attending to patients at different institutions.
The health personnel turned up for work, but were not
performing any duties.
“We spent the whole day watching nurses and doctors on
strike,” a patient told NewsDay.
Zimbabwe Nurses
Association president Enock Dongo said doctors and nurses in most parts of the
country had joined the strike.
“Nurses from different parts of the country joined the
strike just like other employees because the salary negotiations have been
on-going for more than 14 months but are yielding nothing,” Dongo said.
The Health Service Board and government have not proffered
a solution to the salary impasse.
Responding to questions from MPs in the National Assembly
yesterday, leader of government business, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said
the striking health workers must be patient.
Ziyambi said government will never peg salaries in US
dollars, despite Finance minister Mthuli Ncube telling journalists on Tuesday
after a post-Cabinet media briefing that government had not yet ruled out
paying civil servants salaries in US dollars.
“Government is still in a negotiation process with health
workers on the issue of salary increases. An offer was tabled to the Apex
Council and negotiations are continuing. The health workers were advised that
the process is on-going and they must wait until the conclusion of that process.
“It’s not very
correct that the majority of them are on
strike; it’s only the few who
were on strike while a majority are at work and they have been advised that
negations for salary increases are on-going and, therefore, they must go back
to work,” Ziyambi said.
He added: “Our
currency is the Zimbabwe dollar, and we are working towards removing whatever
is causing our currency to decline. We cannot; and we will not determine
salaries in US dollars. We will never go to a scenario where we will peg
salaries in US dollars.”
Teachers are also on strike and have rejected a proposal by
government to increase their salaries by 100%, saying it would only result in
the lowest paid teacher earning a measly $36 000.
Meanwhile, workers other sectors have also embarked on
strike action due to the high cost of living and are demanding payments in US
dollars.
Yesterday, workers from Telecel and Premier Service Medical
Investment (PSMI) downed tools.
PSMI workers complained of non-payment of salaries.
When NewsDay visited PSMI offices, workers said they had
gone for more than two months without
salaries.
In a circular, PSMI said: “It is important to note that the
Treasury is yet to review its cash flows to PSMI as promised in the meeting
held on 13/4/22 wherein both Premier Service Medical Aid Society and PSMI were
requested to submit their monthly requirements to operate viable. Instead the
Treasury instruction for PSMAS to pay 60% of the employer contribution to
pay 3rd party service providers still
stands, resulting in PSMI receiving
inadequate cash flows which are less than the current PSMAS debtors position.”
Telecel workers said they downed tools due to low salaries
paid by the telecommunications company.
In a letter dated June 21, workers claimed incapacitation,
saying the company was failing to remit their medical aid and funeral policy
contributions despite deducting the money from them.
“The company has been facing operational challenges for the
past five years evidenced by poor network coverage, major network outages,
obsolete equipment among others which has resulted in significant loss of market
share and lower revenues. We have not seen any tangible efforts to turn around
the fortune of the company,” read the letter copied to Information
Communication Technology and Courier Services minister Jenfan Muswere, the
Telecel board chairperson James Makamba and the Communications and Allied
Services Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CASWUZ).
Telecel workers committee vice-chairperson Tafadzwa
Chinyoka referred NewsDay to CASWUZ and Telecel chief executive Angeline Vere.
CASWUZ secretary-general David Mhambare said: “The workers
have been engaging the management for a long time. Unfortunately, the
engagements yielded no positive incomes. It’s not like they’re expecting
something luxurious. They’re genuinely incapacitated.”
He said most of their salaries were below $35 000. Newsday
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