Nurses threaten labour action over govt allowance u-turn

Zimbabwean health workers have warned of possible industrial action after the government failed to honour a commitment to review health-specific allowances, with nurses accusing authorities of repeatedly reneging on agreements.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president and Health Apex Team leader Enock Dongo said the government's latest explanation that there was "no fiscal space" to implement the review had intensified frustration among health workers.

He said the failure to address the issue risked pushing an already demoralised workforce to breaking point.

"This is unacceptable and risks pushing an already demoralised health workforce to the limit. The continued failure to honour commitments made to nurses, doctors, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory scientists and other health professionals has reached a point where we can no longer remain silent. We are saying enough is enough," Dongo said.

According to ZINA, health-specific allowances were last reviewed in 2022.

Dongo said health workers had continued performing night duty, on-call and standby duties while working under increasingly difficult conditions and with limited resources. He said the allowances had also failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

In April, the government reportedly committed to reviewing the allowances, with the Health Bipartite negotiating panel setting June as the deadline for completing the process.

However, Dongo said health worker representatives were informed at a recent bipartite meeting that the review would not be undertaken this year because of limited fiscal resources.

"We were therefore surprised and disappointed at the recent bipartite meeting when government reneged on that commitment and told us that the review could not be undertaken this year because there was ‘no fiscal space'," he said.

Dongo said the commitments had also been made publicly by Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.

"Lying to workers through high offices like ministers is regrettable, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated," he said.

The dispute has raised concerns over the potential impact on public healthcare delivery should health workers withdraw certain services.

Dongo warned that continued failure to resolve the dispute could result in a temporary withdrawal of labour, including night, on-call and standby duties.

"The consequences are already clear: further demoralisation of an already demoralised workforce, temporary withdrawal of labour if this is not addressed urgently, total collapse of the health sector once workers stop performing night duty, on-call and standby duties, and untold suffering for ordinary citizens who depend on public health institutions," he said.

ZINA is demanding an immediate review of health-specific allowances and wants the process to be backdated to 2022.

The association is also calling on the government to honour its April 2026 commitment and the June deadline agreed through the health-sector negotiating structures.

Dongo further called for accountability from Ministers Mombeshora and Ncube and urged the government to urgently re-engage ZINA and other health worker representatives.

"Health workers have sacrificed enough. They have waited long enough. They have listened to promises long enough," he said.