The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) Harare Chapter has given the government an ultimatum to pay off their bonuses by Friday the 9th of this month or face a crippling industrial action.
The ultimatum by nurses follows the further postponement of the payment of the rest of government workers’ bonuses to end of the month after paying off workers in the education sector who had vowed to stop reporting for duty in the event the government had failed to pay their outstanding 13th cheque.
ZINA Harare Provincial Chairman, Mr Enock Dongo told the ZBC News that the health practitioners in his province will be withdrawing their services come Monday next week in the event that their grievances had not been addressed.
Harare province covers the country’s biggest referral hospitals which include Parirenyatwa, Harare Central and Chitungwiza hospitals.
Mr Dongo said the nurses are fed up with the unfair treatment they get from government, saying they also have families to look after just like the rest of the civil servants.
ZINA President, Mrs Regina Smith expressed concern with the flow of information from the employer but however urged nurses to continue with the good work of serving the nation.
The government last year sent circulars to health institutions highlighting that health workers were to get their bonuses on Friday last week but has since shifted goalposts. ZBC
