Zimbabwe’s public health sector is facing the threat of another nationwide nurses’ strike as the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) intensifies pressure on gov...
Zimbabwe’s public health sector is facing the threat of another nationwide nurses’ strike as the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) intensifies pressure on government over salaries, unpaid allowances and the recently introduced job evaluation framework.
The warning follows recent industrial action by nurses in Harare and Bulawayo, where workers temporarily withdrew services at major referral hospitals while demanding better pay and improved working conditions. The strikes disrupted services at some of the country’s biggest public hospitals, including Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.
Advertisement
Zina has now issued an ultimatum demanding that government settle all outstanding arrears and introduce a minimum monthly salary of US$540 for nurses. The union warned that failure to address the grievances could result in a nationwide shutdown of health services.
The nurses’ union says many health workers are struggling to cope with rising living costs, transport expenses and accommodation challenges. According to notices issued by the association in recent weeks, nurses argue that their current salaries are no longer enough to meet basic needs.
The dispute has also been linked to government’s new civil service remuneration framework, which was introduced following a job evaluation exercise. Under the framework, part of civil servants’ earnings is paid in United States dollars while the remainder is paid in the local ZiG currency. Government said the system was designed to protect workers from inflation and maintain stability in the public sector payroll.
However, nurses have expressed dissatisfaction with the framework, saying it has failed to address concerns over low basic salaries and working conditions. Zina president Enock Dongo previously said the salaries being paid to nurses remain “unacceptably low” and not in line with the cost of living or the demands of the profession.
In March and April, nurses issued several strike notices after engagements with the Health Service Commission failed to produce an agreement. A planned strike scheduled for April 15 to 17 was initially suspended following discussions with authorities, but nurses later announced fresh industrial action after rejecting what they described as inadequate salary adjustments.
Reports from the recent demonstrations indicated that some hospital wards were left operating with limited staff as nurses protested over salaries and unpaid allowances. Nurses also complained about transport costs, housing expenses and shortages of uniforms and other workplace resources.
The government previously announced that salary adjustments for civil servants would take effect from April 1 under the new remuneration framework. Authorities also said worker representatives would participate in further reviews of the job evaluation exercise through workshops and an appeals committee process.
Despite those assurances, nurses say the salary increases implemented so far have not matched expectations. Some union representatives described the adjustments as token increases that did not significantly improve workers’ earnings amid economic pressures and rising prices.
The latest warning by Zina raises concerns about further disruptions in Zimbabwe’s healthcare system if negotiations fail. Public hospitals rely heavily on nurses for daily operations, and previous strikes have affected patient care and service delivery in several provinces. The union says it remains open to engagement but insists that government must urgently address salaries, allowances and conditions of service to avoid another nationwide shutdown.
