AT least 200 nurses face the axe after government yesterday fired Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union president, Robert Chiduku for conducting union business at his workplace demanding better wages for nurses.
The 200 nurses will soon appear before disciplinary
committees at provincial government hospitals across the country for participating
in demonstrations and absenteeism from duty.
In a letter dated August 15, 2022 addressed to Chiduku, a
representative of the Gweru provincial disciplinary authority, Stewart Jailos
said out of the three charges levelled against him, he found the trade unionist
guilty of conducting union business within the hospital premises without the
employer’s consent.
“Your conduct is a serious breach of your employment
contract and warrants a dismissal under the above cited section as charged. In
coming up with the penalty, I took into account your submissions in mitigation
of the penalty. I also took into account submissions in aggravation by the
complainant only in regards to this particular charge you were found guilty,”
Jailos said.
He said Chiduku’s conduct undermined the employer’s
business and demonstrated incredible disrespect to the sanctity of the
workplace, thereby disturbing the proper functioning of business.
“On the basis of the disciplinary hearing held, I have no
option but to order a summary dismissal with immediate effect. Please be
advised that should you be aggrieved by my decision, you may without prejudice
to right of appeal, appeal as appropriate to the appeals officer within seven
days from date of receipt of this letter,” Jailos added.
Chiduku is one of the many nurses and union leaders
summoned over their calls for better remuneration for the civil service with
other hearings still in motion.
Zimbabwe Health Workers Union general secretary Lloyd Sarai
said a number of nurses had already been to the hearings, where many have been
given warnings never to join a job action again and that repeating a similar
offence would invite a more severe penalty.
Zimbabwe Nurses Union president Enock Dongo acknowledged
that hearings were underway at different provincial hospitals.
“All this is being done to intimidate and to scare away the
nurses from any job action. That is their strategy, but we are not scared and
this we condemn. I have learnt of the unfortunate dismissal from work of Robert
Chiduku. We don’t expect the employer to dismiss union leaders over fighting
for a good cause,” said Dongo.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson Obert Masaraure
said: “The government has dismissed the president of Zimbabwe Professional
Nurses Union, Cde Robert Chiduku. He was accused of conducting union business
at the workplace. According to the employer, this warrants a dismissal. This
evil should be condemned by all progressive citizens.”
Contacted for comment, Health ministry spokesperson Donald
Mujiri said the Health Services Board (HSB) was handling the matter.
HSB spokesperson Tryfine Rachel Dzvukutu confirmed that the
board had summoned a number of nurses with hearings still in progress as per
the board’s mandate across the country.
“The board continues to execute its mandate, relating to
absence from work without authority, within the principle, no work no pay,” she
said.
For many years, nurses have been in a cat and mouse game
with their employer over poor working conditions and remuneration. Newsday
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