By Trevor Makonyonga
In this past month, social media was awash with news that nurses had recieved a hefty pay rise with little knowledge that the purported hefty salaries carried with them a paltry bonus.
The government had paid the nurses their bonuses with most still waiting for their 13th cheque up to now.
Bustop TV talked with the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president, Enock Dongo, regarding the payment of bonuses and why it was not announced.
“It’s shameful (to announce such a figure) because it is too small. Government converts 75 USD Covid-19 allowance. When converted, that money is around 17 000. Then they added bonus, bonus is around ZWL 12000 it’s just basic which is derived from a ZWL4000 basic salary plus the housing and transport allowance. It not like times two your net salary as it used to be now they don’t do that. That’s how we got to the ZWL 27000 andZWL 30000,” said Dongo
Answering on whether the nurses were engaged in talks with the government, Dongo highlighted that they had put those on hold.
“We are not meeting the employer. We last talked in September but we want to talk to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government lost a court case which allowed nurses to continue with their flexible duties although the government had ordered them to work normally whilst the issue was still in the courts.
Commenting on this issue, the ZINA president said, “That’s what’s supposed to happen because they had said whilst we wait for the court hearing we would work normal hours. Now the court has ruled that we revert back to the flexi duties and has recommended that we have a dialogue. We are waiting for their reaction since the outcome was on Friday.”
