under a tree shade.
HEALTH minister Joseph Kasonde has directed and ordered University Teaching Hospital (UTH) striking nurses and Midwives to immediately resume work and save the lives of many Zambians.
The nurses and midwives on Friday downed tools demanding among other things that Government rectifies their salary disparities in their new salaries and conditions of service recently awarded to civil servants.
But Dr Kasonde said that he was, as their employer, instructing them to go back for work because their continued strike was impacting on the lives of people as well as on the ongoing talks with their union representatives.
He said in an interview yesterday that the nurses must go back to work and leave room for talks with their union leaders which had reached an advanced stage.
“I am not appealing to them but I am directing and instructing them as their employer to resume work with immediate effect” Dr Kasonde said.
The minister said that his ministry was working closely with the ministry of labour to address their plight.
Dr Kasonde said that in as much as the workers had the right to demand for things even government as the employer had rights adding that the differences could rightly be resolved through right channels and not exerting pressure on Government.
When asked what would happen to the workers if they defied legitimate orders from their employers, Dr Kasonde said that it was not reasonable for any party to enter into threats of consequences but it was incumbent for both parties to engage into dialogue which would lead to finding a lasting solution.
The second strike by the workers in a space of two months has entered its third day as the workers have refused to go back to work demanding that they be addressed by Government.
A check at the country’s biggest hospital yesterday found doctors, senior nurses, porters, student nurses and defense personnel attending to patients.
When asked about the condition at the university, a porter who sought anonymity said “ us we are working very well as you can see we have no problem, there are no queues but it is the patients themselves who are complaining”.
Health permanent secretary Peter Mwaba on Saturday said the nurses should not hold the Government to ransom because it never promised them all the things they were demanding.
UTH public relations officer Mwenya Mulenga said in an interview yesterday that a meeting with union officials on Saturday proved futile as the workers to resume until they were addressed by Government officials.
Mr Mwenya described the situation at UTH as calm as patients were being attended to by doctors, seniors nurses and defense personnel.
Efforts to get a comment from Zambia Union of Nurses Organization (ZUNO) president Thom Yung’ana failed as his mobile phone was off by press time.
Which health minister issued the order? Dr Kaseba has appeared to been more of the health minister than this useless Kasonde who is always MIA.
….I’m sure gullible as they (nurses and PF voters in general) are, when they resume work, Kaseba will continue using them for her publicity programme.
….a chi tall home-breaker with a major artificial smile. This is all very funny!!!! Ha ha ha haaaa!!!
Sata knows the ramifications. Yet again he has made the right call.
2016 will be as easy as pinching sweets off a child
Eku tekewa uku tuleumfwa bane
I agree with “Jo”.
2016 is a done deal. All “we” need to do is make sure Lombe locks up all opposition 🙂
Bane there is a strong rumour circulating that Sata wants the constitution changed to disadvantage new entrants into politics in favour of old UNIP politicians. He has instructed Kabimba to institute a secret technical committee to alter the constitution so that people like chipimo and HH who have never been ward councilors not to qualify to stand for presidency. If this this true then he paving way for his son, Mulenga Sata. He wants to make sure that Mulenga sails through unchallenged.
I belive there is some truth in this rumour because what Sata is doing is exactly what KK did first before he completely banned multi-party politics. Given his recent relationship with KK, there is 95% chances that KK is influencing Sata to revert back to one party state.
Very SAD indeed.
Sorry I forgot to quote the source. Check ZWD.
@Wanzelu
If what you say is true, then we have a serious problem with African politics in general, and Zambian politics in particular. Maybe, just maybe this explains the mystery surrounding the sudden turn around on the issue of the constitution and the directive that only ten copies should be printed. shame indeed!
Nurses need to learn to speak with one voice!
This is not a problem for UTH and Livingstone nurses!
As long as your strikes remain sporadic, you won’t be heard!
Noble profession does not mean you work for free!
Unfortunately the economy has gone bad and you need to survive.
Government should Pay a competitive wage and restore the dignity of the nursing profession!
How do we expect them to serve us with a smile when all you can pay them is a K2,800 per month to take home?
Rather than issuing threats, the best is government should reconsider the plight of nurses and allied workers and pay them a decent wage. Neighbouring countries are paying the equivalent of ZMW 7,000 to 10,000 inclusive of allowances, then gratuity, 3ys! Why should we always suppress the conditions of service…
Last time, Dr. Kasonde told the striking nurses that the disparities in their salaries was just a payroll confusion, and that this will be rectified. So October pay slips will show “corrected” salaries. On the Minister’s words, the nurses returned to work. October pay slips came, but alas indicated same disparities! Today, Dr. Kasonde says govt is in talks with union, and the talks have reached an advanced stage! Too much “donchi kubeba”.
Nurses are not PF cadres.
PF assumes that all nurses are Bembas too.
Is it ok to give yourself a 27% pay rise while the back bone of the heath service suffers?
Yes it is alright if you are a tubulu voter from Mansa.
Interesting to note that the Employer does not seem to know what to do in event his directives are defied.
He should have laid it plain and simple what will be the consequences to those that do not obey his orders instead of standing in the middle of the issue.
@Scapegoat
I doubt if the employer can pronounce any consequences for defiance largely because the problem was caused by himself! Though he says he is DIRECTING AND INSTRUCTING, he is actually pleading, as I have done in my comment below.
Political pronouncements made carelessly sometimes do prov to be costly to the administration. When you say what people want to hear, they will take it you mean what you say and will hold you accountable at an appropriate time. Remember the promise to increase GRZ workers salaries by 100% by 30th Sept? What became of this pronouncement? It was just another careless statement that lacked budgetary support! We sympathize with our nurses but for the sake of thoe patients agonizing in the hospital right now, I PLEAD that they return to work as they give this disorganized minister a chance to conclude with their union if it is is true that there are talks going on. I really feel for our nurses,but theirs is a noble profession!
…Sata s salary can pay 50 nurses. The whole UTH can get a new salary of k10 000.00 as demanded. Thats kind of greedy president we have. It pains me because i voted for believing be had reformed from crooked ways of doing business.
When are committing sucide?
When are you committing sucide?
wich minister. Go there nasla chemical company there all product dangerous for skin soft touch lotion soft cream and jelly
There all machinry manual work to open yard no care to laboure just force and make money so many people holding salary and passport
But no action any one becoz the rich man
@ Yousuf Khan,.. hey what on earth did you just say, soft skin what? salary passport? action rich man? SHUT UP!!!!
Scapegoat unfortunately the employer has to keep his promise and these people are
unionized. just tell the government to iron out issues, right now the economy is doing fine so these people desperately need every bit of that ka increase
Interesting how Governments make the same mistake over and over again! Governments may change, but they all behave the same way faced with a similar situation. One would think the new govt would have learned from the previous govt’s mistakes!
I remember that previous govts faced a similar situation-nurses (or should I say medical personnel) going on strike. All they did was issue “orders” for the striking workers to go back to work. Suffice to say the orders were ignored!
This time around, the demands of the nurses are very clear and simple! They say they will not resume work “until they are addressed by the govt officials”. Now, the Health Minister has the audacity to sit in his office and issue “orders”!
Something is just seriously wrong, for sure.
@Floyd Chitalu
You surprise me! Are you sure you do not know what is wrong? Well let me tell you; what is wrong is Sata in plot one. He is not giving civil servants authority to act on his promises because most of them are just lies and populist stances.
Construction of roads and schools while neglecting existing ones and keeping the population hungry and struggling with the cost of living in general will not earn him votes, maybe only Luapula,Muchinga and Nothern provinces.You know why? To most people in deprived areas good leadership is measured in terms of whether people can manage to feed their families affordably.
Sata ‘s government promised nurses that they will sort out their problems in October. Barely one month is gone the promise turns out to be another BUFI.
Bwana Health Minister, just humble yourself, go to UTH, and speak to the striking nurses. Persuade them to go back to work. I can assure you, that will work magic! Please do it for the sake of our patients! You will go down into history as a Health Minister who amicably resolved the health workers’ grievances!
I agree – it is time for the Nurses to get their FAT ars.es into the wards and do some real workers otherwise let them go to HELL. They should stop playing with people’s lives!
You are very correct. It is this kind of behaviour that makes people like Ukwa go abroad for their medical treatmet. Also, if nurses are on strike who will Kasebanya pose with in her photo opportunities? This kind of behaviour if left unchecked is enough to take away the beautiful perpetual smile from the first concubine/de facto health minister’s face!
@ Chilyata,I guess your mum is nurse
Miles Sampa was right when he said that,”if i have my way i cld change the entire civil service and replace it with new faces”.
How in hell can a competent person kip on making the same mistake.
I think the personal running the payroll shud b fired immediately without compromise.
@sam imusho
PF is just broke . For now their priority is Bye elections.
@ Wanzelu
Nurses are NOT cadres (PF)
@Kanjimaano
I mean’t PF does not have money to give nurses because they still have bye election votes to buy.
I wonder if these nurses are properly trained.. how can health workers go and sit on grass outdoor in work clothes? Bacteria is likely to be carried in from those dirty surrounding. Maximium hygien is required such as no wearing of uniforms while in public places or transport, wash/wear clean uniform every day .. wear own clothes when you knock off.. going home.
Dr Kasonde you are a big embarrassment. Who is your employee? which employer? a politician employing a civil servant?you are misdirected Old man. you our employ not an employer get that one clear work our employ and normalise the situation than to be bossy mannered. you are ungrateful old man who cant even appreciate what nurses and midwives do.
go back to your drawing board, if you cant, let them go for greener pasture out there. you have failed Zambians.
Dr. Kasonde you would have asked for proper dialogue instead of giving orders, nurses and midwives work hard and are paid pinat. Are you a dictator type of government, why do you still have to be tabling nurses issue
While government should fullfill its promises if ever they did promise the work culture of nurses and Zambians in general is pathetic.However, when they go to some foreign land they work like donkeys. lt is not the question of money but altitude.
Demons like @Wanzelu,Zp,Enka and others like them are indeed demons.They don’t rest. Come 2016 it will be more torn pants down and bitterness till dey are gone to hell forever.
@Osmore
He who calls others demons is a very dull character. If you don’t have the right acumen to argue intelligently ,don’t blame it on some us. Go back to school and get a decent education so that you stop bootlicking PF in order to survive.
People like you deserve to be in mukobeko prison or a mental hospital.
Please respect your self and have respect for others. Argue on the subject matter at hand not insulting others enjoying their freedom of expression and just expressing their opinions.
Dont insult people you don’t know. Next time you do it I will personally trace your ISP and locate you.
How can he be giving orders instead of meeting the nurses? He should know how to resolve issues . How much does he get paid .
Nursing is a profession and every profession is properly paid than the case of nurses, who are condemned instead of facing reality. Hospital environments are infectious and outside zambia nurses are properly paid there is equal pay for equal work. PF government is not grateful because they are now in power and are able to give orders instead of making dialogue. If we are real, only nurses are poorly paid after the agreement made through corrupt unions who are given envelopes.
sata what has seriously gone wrong with your 90days,nurses are asking for your 90days. its time you give to nurses.
The Hon Minister even has the audicity to command the nurses, yet he and his fellow MP’s awarded themselves hefty increaments? Nurses are hard working people that deserve a fair wage as they all families to feed. These poor folks are asking for fuel nor cell phones allowances that our Hon Minister enjoys, they are simply asking for a decent wage to feed their families. Continue with the strike… ..God is on your side and you blessing from your fellow poor country folk.