NURSES say they got the shock of their lives after receiving salary increments of only US$30 to US$40, an amount they describe as far below what had been promised by the government.
The development has pushed them to issue a fresh strike notice, with industrial action set to begin on Monday, April 20, 2026.
This is after the government had promised to increase their salaries.
For months, nurses have been engaging the government through formal negotiations, raising concerns over low pay and deteriorating working conditions.
However, they say their appeals have largely “fallen on deaf ears” despite continuous dialogue with authorities.
According to a notice dated April 14, Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo revealed that the government duped them into believing that their grievances for better pay will be addressed in the April salary.
Dongo said because of the failed salary negotiations and what nurses now describe as broken assurances, they would down tools from April 20 to 22.
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“The government engaged the association alongside the Health Apex Council after receiving the initial strike notice,” the notice read.
“During the engagements, authorities reportedly undertook to review and improve nurses’ salaries, assuring us that meaningful adjustments will be reflected in the April 2026 pay cycle and communicated publicly.
“Calculations of proposed salary increments were made by the employer and an undertaking to effect these from the April 2026 pay cycle was made.”
Reports indicate that the nurses received less than a US$50 increment.
“It has, however, become clear that the increases that were implemented for the April 2026 salaries do not meet the undertaking given by the employer nor the expectations of the employees,” the notice read.
“The salaries are so inconsequential to such an extent that they remain a mere token that cannot be taken seriously.”
In an interview with NewsDay, Dongo said the nurses were expecting over US$500, but only received a US$30 increment.
“There has been no meaningful offer by the government since we started these engagements,” he said.
“Right now the whole of last year we haven’t received any increment and we were hoping to receive the first quarter of 2026.
“To our surprise, what they had promised us on the last engagement is not what we got.
“We were expecting more than US$550 to US$600 according to the figures that we had agreed on. But to our surprise, our nurses only got US$30-US$40.”
He called on nurses to participate in next week’s strike action.
Addressing striking nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital yesterday, Dongo said: “We have a shortage of more than 5 000 nurses as it is. Those people when they get their verifications, the figure will go to 10 000 of nurse shortage.
“So, we are saying to the government please pay these nurses their money, they have been patriotic and they have been hanging around in the country yet they could have left.”
The crisis is being worsened by a sharp rise in the cost of living, with nurses struggling to afford basic necessities such as rent, transport, food and school fees.
Many say their salaries have been eroded to a point where survival has become difficult.
Some healthcare workers are leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad, contributing to an ongoing shortage in the health sector.
