Zimbabwe nurses to embark on a nationwide strike

Zimbabwe's nurses are set to embark on a nationwide strike from April 20 to April 22 following the rejection of what they describe as inadequate salary adjustments and continued deterioration of working conditions in the public health sector.

The industrial action was confirmed through official notices issued by the Zimbabwe Nurses Association, which said members had resolved to proceed with the strike after concluding that recent salary reviews failed to meaningfully address their grievances.

The planned strike follows weeks of engagement with the Health Service Commission. An earlier planned strike scheduled for April 15 to 17 had been withdrawn to allow further negotiations, but nurses say subsequent developments did not meet their expectations.

In a legal notice to their employer, the association said the latest salary adjustments were viewed as insufficient.

"The salary review was only done as a token and not seriously meant to address the plight of nurses," the notice reads.

At the centre of the dispute are long-standing concerns over remuneration, with nurses arguing that their pay is no longer in line with the rising cost of living. They also cited a lack of cost-of-living adjustments and insufficient support to cushion workers against increasing transport expenses, which they say have made it difficult for many to report for duty.

Health workers warned that continued deterioration in working conditions risks affecting patient care across public hospitals.

In earlier communication cancelling the initial strike dates, the association said feedback from members indicated that the latest pay cycle did not reflect a genuine effort to improve salaries, despite previous engagements with authorities.

The organisation later issued a fresh notice in line with provisions of the Health Service Act, formally setting the new strike dates and required notice period.

An internal circular to members said the revised dates were chosen to ensure coordinated national participation, particularly for nurses in rural areas, and emphasised the importance of unified action.

"Isolated demonstrations are not as effective as a nationwide act," the association said, urging hospital and provincial representatives to mobilise staff across all districts.

While the strike is expected to disrupt public health services nationwide, the association indicated that nurses in critical and intensive care units would maintain essential services, in an effort to avoid endangering patients during the industrial action.