Zimbabwe nurses threaten another crippling strike

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) has warned of possible industrial action amid rising dissatisfaction among nurses over salaries, unpaid allowances and the government's new job evaluation framework.

The warning comes weeks after nurses in Harare and Bulawayo staged a strike over poor pay and outstanding allowances, temporarily disrupting services at major referral hospitals.

Zina has now issued an ultimatum demanding that government clear all outstanding arrears and introduce a minimum monthly salary of US$540, warning that failure to comply could result in a nationwide shutdown of health services.

Zina president Enock Dongo said nurses remained deeply frustrated after receiving unchanged salaries despite expectations of improvements.

"The issue is the same; poor remuneration," Dongo said. "People are very disgruntled by the salaries they received last month and this month."

He added that many nurses are struggling to afford transport and basic necessities, affecting their ability to report for duty.

"They are frustrated, demotivated and incapacitated to report for duty because of lack of transport costs and other necessities," he said.

Dongo warned that continued inaction could lead to serious disruptions in the public health system, which already faces staffing and resource constraints.

Last week, Health and Child Care deputy minister Sleiman Kwidini reportedly said only "God" could reward health workers, citing fiscal limitations in meeting salary demands.

Zina has also rejected the government's job evaluation exercise, arguing that it has demoralised health workers by placing senior nursing roles such as sisters-in-charge, matrons and tutors under similar grading levels.

The union says it is currently consulting its members on the next course of action, including the possibility of issuing a formal strike notice.

Bulawayo regional secretary-general Ceteas Siziba said the union was acting on concerns raised directly by nurses across the country.

Zina has urged government to align nurses' remuneration with regional benchmarks, citing countries such as Botswana, South Africa and Zambia as reference points.

While the union insists strike action remains a last resort, it warned that urgent intervention is needed to prevent further deterioration of health services in Zimbabwe's public hospitals.