Resist, Reject and Report Violence, #RRRV2023
Passing of repressive measures
On 4 January, the proposed amendments to the Health Services Act (No. 9 of 2022)
were published in the Government Gazette by General Notice [GN] 1/2023 and came
into force on the same day. The bill outlaws organised protests by healthcare
workers who face a fine or imprisonment of up to six months. The law bans doctors
and nurses from embarking on job action lasting more than three days, and worker
representatives who face charges of inciting nurses and doctors to unlawfully down
tools could be jailed for three years. Thus, public health sector workers are now
prejudiced because they no longer have the right to strike and engage in collective
bargaining. On 16 January, Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) imposed a
no-work, no-pay policy to force employees on strike for weeks to return to work.
Employees had written a letter to management on 12 January vowing to only return
to work when their outstanding wages dating back to July 2022, get paid. The
signing of the bill into law comes as healthcare workers had reached a stalemate in
protracted negotiations with the government, demanding that salaries be paid in
United States Dollars. Zimbabwe’s Health Services Board stated that over 4 000
healthcare workers had left the country since 2021, leaving many hospitals
understaffed.
Recommendations
The Boards and organisations that deal with the welfare of nurses and doctors,
such as Zimbabwe’s Health Services Board, Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’
Association and Nurses Council Zimbabwe, need to make concerted efforts to
engage the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to address the grievances of
healthcare workers.
The Public Service Commission together with the Ministry of Finance and
Economic Development should make efforts to address the issue of
remuneration and recruitment of healthcare workers to mitigate understaffing
in public hospitals.
January 2023
The Zimbabwe Peace Project Monthly Monitoring Report
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