Nurses reject Govt proposal on Zim dollar salaries

Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE ongoing impasses between the Government and nurses could reach a deadlock after the latter this week rejected a proposal from the former to have their salaries pegged in the local currency.

The latest stance comes after a meeting between the acting Minister of Health and Child Care, Professor Amon Murwira, his deputy, Dr John Mangwiro, the Health Services Board and Zimbabwe Nurses Association executive committee members on Monday.

During the meeting Zina was asked to quantify their salary demands in local currency.

However, in a letter addressed to Prof Murwira, Zina president, Mr Enock Dongo said their membership had reiterated their demand for salaries to be pegged in United States Dollars.

Justifying this demand Mr Dongo noted that in most cases their members were now being required to pay for goods and services in United States Dollars.

“Our members are now being charged in United States Dollars or the market or interbank equivalent and yet our salaries have not been pegged in that currency. Our salaries are less than US$70 and this is surely a low amount to pay an employee.

“If we are to negotiate for a local currency amount our salaries will be pegged at $203 233 which by merely looking at it, it is unrealistic. Furthermore, the advantage of paying in a stable currency is that we will be able to focus solely on our jobs and not worry about inflation eroding our earnings,” said Mr Dongo.

Nurses have been demanding that their salaries revert back to the October 2018 salary structure and must be quoted in United States dollars.