Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Correspondent
THE Government is actively addressing the grievances of health workers, including nurses, following a comprehensive payroll analysis to rectify technical glitches that arose during the implementation of a new remuneration framework, Parliament has heard.
Speaking during a Question-and-Answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the Government remains committed to resolving the legitimate concerns of its workforce through established legal channels.
The payroll analysis was initiated to identify and correct technical glitches that occurred during the transition from the previous grading system to the new remuneration framework, which was established following a recent job evaluation exercise.
Dr Mombeshora said these administrative hiccups may have contributed to the recent disaffection expressed by nursing staff.
“The Government is further evaluating a submission made by the health workers to increase health-specific and risk allowances applicable to health workers according to prevailing economic conditions and available fiscal space,” Dr Mombeshora said.
He added that negotiations are ongoing through the Bipartite Negotiation Panel (BNP)—the designated platform for negotiations between the employer and health workers—and urged civil servants to engage the Government lawfully.
During the session, legislators pressed the Minister for immediate relief on outdated allowances, citing transport costs as a critical example.
“We saw most of our nurses crying. They were saying that when transport allowances were gazetted, commuter omnibuses cost 50 cents. Their plea is now outdated because commuter buses are now $1,” Kwekwe legislator Corban Madzivanyika said, asking what immediate measures were being taken to bridge the gap.
In response, Dr Mombeshora confirmed that a review of the allowances, which were last adjusted in 2022, is currently underway.
He also revealed that initial allowance proposals have already been adjusted following discussions between the Health Service Commission (HSC) and health worker representatives.
“Proposals have been made and the first proposals of allowances that were made were adjusted and now we await the new proposals,” Dr Mombeshora said.
“When we have new proposals which are discussed between the Health Service Commission and the health workers, they are put together and presented to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, who in turn will present them to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.”
He also added that the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is currently in discussions with Treasury, noting that the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion has expressed a willingness to accommodate the new proposals based on the comprehensive list submitted.
