Zimbabwe sacks all striking nurses

                   

The Zimbabwean government has dismissed all striking nurses in public hospitals after refusing a US $ 17.1 million government offer to improve their salaries. The government said in a statement on Tuesday that it considered the trade union action as politically motivated and would immediately employ new nurses and remind those who were withdrawing from the service to replace the dismissed health workers. The number of licensed nurses could not be established immediately. Nurses at the country's main public hospitals, including in the capital Harare and the second largest city in Bulawayo, are on strike. The nurses' strike for better wages and working conditions was the second this year and followed a month-long strike by doctors last month.

“Despite the decision by government yesterday (Monday) to accede to the demands made by the striking nurses, government regrets to note that the industrial action in this essential service sector has persisted.
“What makes the whole action both deplorable and reprehensible is the fact that as agreed yesterday (Monday) government today (Tuesday) released and transferred a sum of 17.1 million (U.S. dollars) into the account of the Ministry of Health and Child Care for payment to the striking nurses.

“While this demonstrated good faith from the government …which has been effected against demonstrable economic challenges facing our nation, (it) has not, quite surprisingly, persuaded the nurses to go back to their work stations in the interest of saving lives and helping patients placed under their care.

“Government now regards this lack of remorse as politically motivated and thus as going beyond conditions of service and worker welfare.
“Accordingly, government has decided… to discharge all the striking nurses with immediate effect,” the statement said.

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