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DISCIPLINARY hearings against striking junior doctors are set to proceed this week, even in the absence of the doctors as the law provides for the sitting of the disciplinary hearing committees without the respondents.
The Health Services Board summoned the protesting doctors before hearings, in their respective workplaces, for defying a High Court order to return to work.
The doctors, through their union — Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association — have since said they will not attend the hearings.
The junior doctors have also demanded a negotiating platform outside the Tripartite and Bipartite Negotiating Forums, citing ‘loss of confidence’ in their representative body – the Health Apex Council.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail, HSB board chairperson, Dr Paulinus Sikhosana said disciplinary hearings will proceed and the law will take its course.
“The law allows the process to occur without them. In terms of the labour laws, the disciplinary hearings will be conducted by the respective health institutions, even if the doctors are absent the hearing will proceed and the law will take its course,” he said
“Doctors have been given platform to negotiate in terms of the two negotiating platforms that are recognised by law (TNF and BNF).
“Lately, they have refused to be part of those platforms saying they want a separate negotiating platform, but that requires a review of the current laws.
“Until that is done Government can only negotiate with them through the existing negotiation platforms.”
Doctors have been snubbing recent meetings with Government.
Since August, Government has increased doctors’ salaries and allowances by a total of 160 percent, but the latter continue to reject the offer.
ZHDA acting secretary general, Dr Tawanda Zvakada, recently told The Sunday Mail that doctors would not return to work until their salary increments are pegged at the US dollar interbank exchange rate.
“As ZHDA, we were not part of those negotiations and we have not agreed to those increments. We insist on having our on call allowance reviewed at interbank rate,” he said.
Government has previously stated that it cannot afford to accede to the demands in light of the fluctuating nature of the interbank exchange rates.
Junior doctors have been on strike since September 3.
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