OPERATIONS at several major hospitals in Harare came to a standstill yesterday as nurses downed tools, giving the government a 48-hour ultimatum to review their working conditions.
Nurses at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals yesterday surprised the government when they stopped working, arguing that the strike was necessitated by the ongoing price instability of fuel and transport, among others.
Further reports indicated that staff at Chitungwiza Central Hospital stopped working, citing various grievances, including a salary review.
In the Midlands province, the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) members submitted a petition outlining how the volatile economic environment — characterised by salary erosion and price disparities — has rendered them unable to perform effectively.
The strike underscores the growing frustration among Zimbabwe’s health workers, who are grappling with low pay, delayed salary adjustments, and skyrocketing transport costs.
Nurses argue that the government should address these long-standing grievances or risk further disruption of essential health services.
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The continuing price shocks, which the government attributes partly to the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran, have driven up fuel and transport costs, further straining nurses’ ability to commute.
The nurses formally submitted their grievances to the Health Services Commission (HSC) and demanded resolution within 48 hours.
HSC secretary Christopher Pasi assured that the government is treating the matter with urgency.
“The Health Service Commission notes with concern the issues raised by health workers regarding salaries and working conditions,” he said.
Pasi added that a comprehensive job evaluation exercise has been completed and is now entering the implementation stage.
This process aims to establish a fair and transparent grading structure aligned with a broader civil service salary review, which is expected to improve remuneration frameworks.
Health and Child Care deputy minister Sleiman Kwidini admitted that the government was aware of the issues and working to find solutions.
He noted, however, that the spike in transport costs was unanticipated, arising from a global crisis.
“The crisis didn’t originate here; we didn’t anticipate it. However, their issue was being handled before the crisis,” he said.
“The government is not sitting back and is working on modalities on how to solve their issue.
“We are aware that their employer, the HSC, is working on their plight.”
The nurses said they were affected by low basic salaries, which are below the living standard, exclusion of health workers on cost of living adjustment, waiting for salary reviews, unexplained deductions on March salaries with no payslips since April last year, and a delayed grading system.
They also cited the increase in fuel cost, which is making it difficult for them to travel to work, leaving some resorting to walking more than 8km to work due to increased transport fares.
They also called for flexible working hours and fewer working days to offset transport challenges.
Zina president Enock Dongo described the nurses’ concerns as legitimate, stressing that expecting them to survive on US$240 plus a ZiG component — less than US$100 — is “purely a mockery”.
“Nurses are the first port of call for all clients visiting hospitals,” he said.
“Yet they are blamed for systemic resource shortages, while officials seem focused on workshops and lining pockets instead of delivering services.”
He urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to address the broader issues affecting the health delivery system holistically.