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Strike by nurses spreads |
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12 May 2007 By John Ngwere HARARE -Service delivery at city council hospitals and polyclinics has been disrupted by a nurses strike in Zimbabwe's capital Harare. The strike took another twist yesterday afternoon, when nurses at Bulawayo major referral centre Mpilo Hospital joined the job action. A doctor at Mpilo Hospital said ‘the nurses just walked out and it will be soon when people start dying” The strike comes hard on the heels of an announcement on Wednesday by the government that it had increased the nurses transport and allowances by 220 and 332 percent, following reports that they were coming for work, due to escalating transport costs against their paltry salaries. In a statement, the Government said the increases would be backdated to February and paid this month. Transport allowances for matrons who are in Grades D and F go up from Z$78 000 to Z$250 000. Those for general State registered nurses who in Grade C will jump from $53 000 to Z$169 200 while those in Grade A and B, who include nurse aides and general hands will see their allowances rise to $141 120 from $44 000. The basic salaries for nurses still stands at $111 000 while that matrons is around $300 000, excluding allowances. Despite the statement by
the government, nurses in the country’s second city Bulawayo joined the
strike yesterday, which is expected to spread by various parts of the
country by the weekend. The move forced President Robert Mugabe's government -- which faced the prospect of a full-scale strike by the civil service after teachers also boycotted work -- to increase wages twice in as many months to pacify restive government workers. Nurses employed by the government earn about $550,000 Zimbabwean dollars. Many health professionals have left the country for better paying jobs overseas. Workers in the southern African country have borne the brunt of a severe economic crisis, blamed on Mugabe's policies and marked by record inflation, 80 percent unemployment and persistent shortages of foreign currency, fuel and food. Mugabe denies mismanaging the economy, which he says has been hurt by sanctions imposed by Western countries. Related Stories Do you have a story? Then e-mail news@nehandaradio.com . If its a good one you might earn yourself money for the effort. For general comments and feedback e-mail: editor@nehandaradio.com
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