Health workers split over strike
DIVISIONS have torn apart the health workers strike with doctors now reluctant to join the striking nurses, accusing the latter of failing to support them when they embarked on a 100-day industrial action last year.
Zina president Enock Dongo confirmed the divisions, claiming nurses had been left alone in the fight while the rest of the health apex members chickened out of the strike despite being part of the June 18 agreement.
“What they are saying is not true. As according to our letter dated June 18, all health workers are on strike, but implementation on the ground has proven that only nurses have downed tools,” he said.
“This shows that despite the agreement we had on the strike, other members have not honoured their part and are reporting for duty, leaving nurses as a lone figure in the struggle.”
On June 18, unions representing government’s health workers recently agreed to down tools demanding United States dollar salaries and improved working conditions, rejecting a 50% salary hike and a non-taxable US$75 COVID-19 allowance announced by their employer.
The government offer came after protests by nurses that broke up at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on June 17 cascaded to other provinces.
Since then, the nurses have been on strike, but doctors, despite signing on a letter to the Health Services Board on June 18 declaring a strike, have been reporting to work.
Some doctors are allegedly accusing the nurses of working with the Progressive Doctors Association of Zimbabwe (PDAZ), a union of doctors aligned to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and only turning to the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) for support during strikes.
“The nurses are now alone in the fight. Doctors are divided; some want to join, others are not prepared. They accuse nurses of failing to support them during their 100-day strike,” a well-placed source said.
There have been allegations that the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) was working together with the ZHDA to sideline other members of the health apex in the proposes strike.
Efforts to get a comment from ZHDA leaders were fruitless as they did not respond to questions sent on their WhatsApp numbers.
PDAZ maintained that it would not join the strike.
“We still uphold our position, we value our patients, and we are not in support of the strike, though the grievances by the other members of the health apex are genuine. We hope our employer will act on the issues raised so as to avoid the strike which is looming,” PDAZ national spokesperson Anesu Rangwani said.
“We are now in a difficult position as we are going to work while others are downing tools, making us look like hypocrites. Our plea is for government and the private sector to come and assist so that we continue saving lives. We have so far engaged Higher Life Foundation, though they are yet to respond.”