Thursday, March 28, 2024

ZCTU implores Government to reinstate the sacked nurses and other health workers unconditionally

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Zambia Congress of Trade Unions president Leonard Hikaumba is flanked by striking nurses after a meeting the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka
Zambia Congress of Trade Unions president Leonard Hikaumba is flanked by striking nurses after a meeting the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka

THE Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has implored Government to reinstate the sacked nurses and other health workers unconditionally.

ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba made appeal when he presented the 2014 ZCTU General Council resolutions in Lusaka yesterday in reaction to Health Minister, Joseph Kasonde’s announcement on Tuesday that Government had allowed the dismissed nurses and health workers to re-apply.

Mr Hikaumba said Government’s general amnesty to the fired nurses was welcome but that there was need for the re-admission process to be quickened and without conditions attached.

“We receive this news with a lot of gratitude and pleasure but we would like to further request Government to quicken the process because we have seen that the health delivery system in those institutions that are affected is not moving efficiently.

“So they should just re-admit them without any conditionality even that of re-applying,” Mr Hikaumba said.

Mr Hikaumba said it was ZCTU’s expectation the dismissed health workers’ accrued benefits were not tampered with upon being re-instated as doing so would de-motivate them, especially those that had worked for many years.

Mr Hikaumba said also that the labour movement’s appeal was for Government to seriously engage the health workers’ union to look at problems their members were facing.

On the wage freeze, it was resolved during the General Council that Government rescinded its decision as it abrogated the right to free collective bargaining as enshrined in the Laws of Zambia.

He disclosed that the labour movement was currently strategizing on what course of action to take should the Government not lift the wage freeze.

The General Council also resolved that the labour movement joined other stakeholders in demanding for the release of the draft Constitution and supports any kind of action to be taken to push for its release especially that it gobbled a lot of money and that Zambia was celebrating its Golden Jubilee.

Mr Hikaumba said it was also resolved that the labour movement continued condemning political violence besides urging the police to discharge their duties professionally by not being selective or having political inclinations.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Hikaumba is now working. I believe he is no longer bribed by those in power or he has realised that our leaders are just bunch of f00ls with no direction. They have paddled the boat backwards to go and pick the nurses were they left them. Why fire them if at all you knew you would need their services later on. We now want our constitution to be released f0ols. Watch the space before 2016.

  2. Its funny how that the highest office has remained mute on the issue of this magnitude, especially that service delivery became highly compromised in affected health care institutions

  3. It is actually illegal to have people who are not competent providing care to the weak and vulnerable. This whole issue would be upheld in a court as negligence….commissioned by the government and unwittingly supported by the relevant registration body. Accountability and responsibility should be sought….for the direct negative effect on care. Nevermind the salaries pocketed that were meant for the nurses they have fired.

  4. Nurses do not reapply as that would effectively make you losers of the accrued contributions towards your pension. Also demand to be paid the arrears as your dismissal was illegal. PF is truly directionless

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