Doctors reject contract employment

Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) has rejected government’s decision to employ junior medical doctors as contract workers.

ZHDA Media and Publicity Officer Francis Rwodzi said they had received a letter from the government which he said was designed to “enslave” doctors.

The letter, which was signed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary, Dr Gerald Gwinji, says all junior doctors will now be required to sign a contract spelling out their terms of employment.

It reads in part: “Please find attached the contract form which has been approved by the Health Service Board which every medical intern is expected to sign with immediate effect from February 2015”.

The doctors have refused to sign the contracts which do not specify their monthly salaries.

“A monthly amount of $…per month worked. The Ministry reserves the right to withhold payment if the intern does not report for duty during the month or reduce the amount payable proportional to the number of days of absence without good cause,” it says.

Rwodzi said doctors could not sign the document because a ridiculous amount could be added afterwards.

He said the contract does not even guarantee junior doctors on call allowances.

Part of the contract reads: “The intern may be paid an on call allowance at the prevailing government rates. Allowances may be subject to review during the course of the year”.

It also includes an unspecified housing allowance with the Ministry saying, “an intern shall be paid housing allowance of $…”

Rwodzi said the contract also violated women’s constitutional rights as it stated that female doctors would not be paid if they went on maternity leave.

“Noting that internship is two years, there will be no paid maternity leave entitlements during internship. Where such leave is taken it will be unpaid,” the contract says.

Rwodzi said the move by the employer was illegal and inconsiderate of women’s needs.

“The new contract does not stipulate how much a doctor earns, does not provide for a salary when a female doctor goes on maternity leave and does not guarantee the payment of an on call allowance.

“According to the contract, doctors can now be fired once the government gives a one month notice of termination,” he said.

The doctors have called on the government to intervene.

“The ZHDA rejects this trickery and now calls on our national leaders to introduce holistic reforms to the manner our health ministry is run,” Rwodzi said.

Dr Gwinji could not be reached for comment.

Last year doctors staged a three-week strike which crippled the health sector.

The doctors demanded a salary increment from $282 to $1,200 excluding allowances and on call allowances.