Nurses in Zimbabwe who embarked on strike demanding better working conditions on Monday returned to work after calling off their strike.
The nurses union, ZINA said on Sunday in a statement that “To pave way for the re-opening of negotiations and protection of our workers, we have decided to call off the industrial action”.
The statement urged all members to report for duty on Monday.
Over 15,000 of the nurses were reported last week to have been sacked by the government for failing to call off their strike.
The government in a statement signed by its Vice president, Constantino Chiwenga said the action of the nurses was politically motivated and has nothing to do with their demand for better working conditions.
Chiwenga said “accordingly, government has decided, in the interest of patients and of saving lives, to discharge all the striking nurses with immediate effect. Further, government has now instructed the Health Services Board to speedily engage, as appropriate, all unemployed but trained nurses in the country. It has also authorised the board to recall retired nursing staff into the service.”
The government said it had taken this decision after agreeing to “released and transferred a sum of $17 114 446 into the account of the ministry of Health and Child Care for on-payment to the striking nurses.”
The nurses were earlier warned by the Health minister David Parirenyatwa of a possible sacking of they failed to return to work after government’s effort at resolving the crisis.
The union has said that it had filed a court application to force the government to reverse its decision to fire the nurses.
Source: Africafeeds.com
