By Paidashe Mandivengerei
Harare city council nurses who are participating in the ongoing ‘illegal’ job action will face disciplinary action, the government has warned.
Nurses at municipal clinics around the capital last week downed tools citing incapacitation and have not reported for duty since then.
Speaking at a post-cabinet briefing, Tuesday, Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said city fathers have been given the go-ahead to invite the nurses to disciplinary hearings.
Meanwhile, the Health Service Board is currently conducting similar hearings on doctors, a move which has seen 286 doctors losing their jobs to date.
“The situation at the municipal clinics remains constrained as only 35 out of the expected 107 nurses turned up for duty at the five polyclinics and one hospital.
“The nurses had withdrawn their labour over delayed salary payment but are still refusing to resume duty even after receiving their salaries.
“The action by the nurses is illegal and the employer has been advised to commence disciplinary processes on the striking nurses this is in line with the country’s laws.
Mutsvangwa added that salaries of all the nurses who are not reporting for duty will be withheld.
“As such therefore only those nurses reporting for duty will be paid while their conditions of service are being looked into,” she said.
Contrary to the government’s claims that the job action was over delayed salaries, Zimbabwe Urban and Rural Council Nurses Workers Union President, Simbarashe Tafirenyika said they were demanding salaries pegged at the interbank rate.
