Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, formerly Harare Hospital, briefly downed tools on Friday, 20 March, in protest over low salaries, saying their earnings no longer cover basic living costs following a sharp rise in fuel prices.
The nurses, holding placards, sang and danced outside the hospital as they called for salary adjustments in line with the increasing cost of living.
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) said nurses are currently receiving just ZiG500 (around US$15) in transport allowances, yet some are now spending as much as US$6 a day to get to work.
Belcred Farai Matsiwe, ZINA’s representative at Sally Mugabe Hospital, said it is becoming increasingly difficult for nurses to report for duty.
Kumbirai Maresva, ZINA’s Harare provincial organising secretary, said nurses have resolved to boycott night duty until the allowance is reviewed.
He added that the current allowance is below US$50, with nurses now pushing for it to be increased to at least US$200. Said Maresva:
“We have agreed to work from 7 AM to 4 PM. For night duties, we agreed to stop coming to work. The night duty allowance doesn’t make sense.”
He insisted that nurses were not on strike, but were simply seeking a way forward due to the financial strain they are under.
Nurses in Zimbabwe earn around US$450 a month, paid in a mix of United States dollars and ZiG.
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