Thursday, March 28, 2024

Federation of Employers renders support to Government over nurses dismissal

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Labour Minister Fackson Shammenda and  Joyce Simukoko
Labour Minister Fackson Shammenda and Joyce Simukoko

THE Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) has rallied behind the decision by Government to dismiss nurses that went on an illegal strike.

ZFE President Alfred Masupha said Government as an employer did what was justified to dismiss nurses in accordance with the laws on handling illegal work stoppage.

Mr Masupha said illegality had has consequences and such would be punishable by instant dismissal according to the laws governing industrial relations.

“Though the move is regrettable that some nurses were dismissed, this was a justified action and as ZFE we wish to rally behind you the Government as an employer for the job well done in this very sad case,” Mr Masupha said.

He said this yesterday during the official opening of the two days Tripartite Labour Council consultative meeting taking place at the Government complex in Lusaka.

He said the ZFE condemns illegal strike as it is an economic subrogate and promoted anarchy.

Labour and social security minister Fackson Shamenda who officiated said the fate of the nurses for them to be reinstated lies in the hands of the trade unions.

[pullquote]“Instead of engaging with Government, you rushed to the press to threaten Government, you can not threaten Government, none of you have been to our offices to resolve this matter we are just seeing you on Television condemning and threatening Government.[/pullquote]

He said the trade unions particularly the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) erred to rush to the press to push Government reinstate the nurses.

He said the best the Union leaders would have done was to engage Government and find the way forward to exercise leniency on the erring nurses.

“Instead of engaging with Government, you rushed to the press to threaten Government, you can not threaten Government, none of you have been to our offices to resolve this matter we are just seeing you on Television condemning and threatening Government.

“If those nurses will not be reinstated their fate will be on your hands,” he said.

Earlier, ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba urged Government to reinstate the nurses unconditionally despite them committing an offence.

Mr Hikaumba said some nurses that had been fired had gained so much experience, though it would be easy to replace them but that it would be difficult to replace experience.

And Federation of Free Trade Union President (FFTUZ) President Joyce Simukoko condemned the ZFE President for his sentiment and encouraged the spirit of forgiveness.

52 COMMENTS

  1. “Though the move is regrettable that some nurses were dismissed, this was a justified action and as ZFE we wish to rally behind you the Government as an employer for the job well done in this very sad case,” Mr Masupha said

    Mr. Masupha – I say Masupa yawo whatever that means in Lozhi. Zambians are the most docile people I have ever seen. I don’t know if it’s being stupid or what. Lets see – Gvt negotiates and agrees to pay nurses more than 200 percent pay increase. Minister promises them that nurses will cut his di.c.k if they wont get paid 200 percent in October. They get paid 4 percent instead, his di.c.k his intact, they go on strike in Nov and they get fired and ZFE guy Masipa says well done gvt. Where are the real union to stand for real employees like nurses who does a well…

    • Job well done? I normally avoid using strong language but this is total insanity! Does this guy realize that nurses are essential workers in the health sector? Is this guy really what he says he is or he is just some political cadre? This is a shame!!

    • the simple reason most of these people are behind the govt is that fact that they are not in UTH. The other day I took a patient there and what I witnessed at the filter clinic has no words which can describe the place and work ethics going on there. Later on the same patient has been transferred to E ward, what a scene? Nurses can no longer send the porters and nurses are refusing to do simple procedures but referring to doctors as they are the one getting the high pay. Find time and just be observant in one of these wards. Pls govt sort out the issue with the nurses and other workers and not negotiating with that useless ZFE

    • Come on @Nkalanda you can not condone illegality just because you are emotional about it. the nurses have a union and they know the procedure to take in case of dissatisfaction, but they decided to ignore not just the law but even their sworn oath of Hippocrates whatever its called. whatever the minister promised does not in any way justify the careless action by nurses

    • Crap ! Just because we don’t have enough nurses in the country doesn’t mean that we have to be desperate enough to even keep those with no passion for their job and patients.

    • This story reminds me of one HR in kansanshi mine working for Titan Drilling a Zimbabwean company. The HR opts to protect foreign workers at the expense of Zambians. She always brags about bringing in more Zimbabweans to come work in Solwezi because Zambians complain about poor welfare. Just Imagine, this HR is very much Zambian.

  2. ZCTU president is so subjective, how can he address him self like that when the same Nurse never wanted to obey him. If u want your people back for work u your self go to State House and kneel before the Head of state who ll later ask forgiveness from Zambians who have suffered Bad over this nonsense strike.

    • Thumbs up Federation of Employers !! Now this is what i call as calling a spade a spade and calling what is illegal as illegal.There is no need to politicize the nurses dismissal,the government just did what any other employer in the world could have had done.I agree with everything said, those nurses were daring government to dismiss them and now that the government has done just that they want to cry foul.Funny that some opportunistic politicians like HH have jumped on the pro-nurses bandwagon,i wonder if he would be allowing levels of indiscipline like that exhibited by the nurses if at all got he elected in power.Government you are within the law.Discipline and professionalism is what we expect from our hardworking life savers and not insults,songs and dances.

  3. Nothing to be done until they miss one month salary and are removed from the payroll. Ifwee next week ni more money in our pockets… Haahhahahhaa

  4. ZFE is sending a signal to the private sector, that; the government has now set a standard for protesting employees.

    It’s DISMISS THEM IF THEY PROTEST.

  5. @ NKALANDA
    Its not that Zambians are docile. When leaders fail to act responsibly its not fair to point at all Zambians as being docile(though you simply want them provoked) I hope that you mean that Zambian leaders are docile at leadership skills and abilities. These PF leaders have increased their salaries twice, which they didnt work for to start with. Their act to increase salaries when they were new in government clearly explained what sort of interests/abilities they had. Mr Daniel Munkombwe put it in plain language that themselves are there in leadership to eat, even the dullest person in Zambia can understand the meaning of that.

    • @Keen Fellow….so you want the government to be accepting even things that are not making sense (Illegal strike because the Government said NO to a 200% increment)?.Who do u think doesn’t want that increment? A nurse , take home to be between k10,000 and k12,000? Does it make sense to you?

  6. We need real union leaders who understands the core business and stands for the workers. A union leader should never side with mgt nor govt but our current union leader always are looking forward to be employed by mgt or govt hence no proper representation of workers.
    Its a sad story union leaders shud reflect on forge ahead for a betterment of dismissed nurses.

  7. Shamende, you promised that you were going to put your head on the chopping board if there was going to be no change in the nurses salaries. Aleni bikeni umutwe pa chopping board baputule ba Nurse. Ninshi mukaleka ukulya baputula ka…you know that ka

    • @Polo Di Canye, what constitutes the grey matter in that pumpkin u call yo head?

      Aside of the nurses, do u know how many times yo GRZ f.oo.ls have increased their undeserved perks? And u support their arrogance with essential workers!

      When was the last time u or anyone close to u was sick and needed medical attention? Not recently I guess.

    • Personally, I believe that the purpose of punishment is to correct an undesirable behaviour by teaching a lesson so that said behaviour is not repeated. Once the lesson has been learned, continued punishment is torture, almost if not completely driven by a sadistic pleasure in the pain of the perceived culprit. In this case, I am sure that these nurses have learned a hard lesson, and this behaviour is most likely not going to be repeated, at least not by the same nurses, more so if government meets them half-way. We lose nothing by welcoming them back in the fold. Even those of us who are not christians understand forgiveness and letting by-gones be by-gones. This torture affects not just the nurses but also their families, nuclear and extended, just as it affects the medical service.

  8. Let ZCTU threaten GOVT they will simply be DEREGISTERED if they threaten national security by inciting civil servants to Go on country wide strike! Watch the steps! We foresaw the dismissal but people resisted!next……….

    • That sounds like dictatorship, are you accusing the PF govt of such tendencies? You seem to understand this approach better.

    • Which civil servant do you think will go on strike when incited by ZCTU? Things with civil servants are not that bad bro.They are much much better compared to any previous government.

    • @BLUE PLANET SCIENTIST

      Trade Unions are privileged organisations. They are NOT subject to laws that regulate registration/deregistration of association, clubs, societies, etc. So the issue of having ZCTU deregistered does NOT arise.

  9. We are tired of this news….Nurses start trooping into diaspora….so that you can earn what you were demanding from the Govt.

  10. Personally, I believe that the purpose of punishment is to correct an undesirable behaviour by teaching a lesson so that said behaviour is not repeated. Once the lesson has been learned, continued punishment is torture, almost if not completely driven by a sadistic pleasure in the pain of the perceived culprit. In this case, I am sure that these nurses have learned a hard lesson, and this behaviour is most likely not going to be repeated, at least not by the same nurses, more so if government meets them half-way. We lose nothing by welcoming them back in the fold. Even those of us who are not christians understand forgiveness and letting by-gones be by-gones. This torture affects not just the nurses but also their families, nuclear and extended, just as it affects the medical service.

    • Please do not be so hard hearted. To err is human, to forgive, divine. These nurses are no longer a threat. Infact, they are more an asset than ever before because now they have gathered more experience about how to go about grievances. Please Mr. President, exercise your prerogative if assigned organs continue to pursue the path of vindictiveness.

  11. Nurses deserves what they are going through. How do you politicize your Jobs surely? We will see if HH will now help you. Good Luck

  12. “Instead of engaging with Government, you rushed to the press to threaten Government. You can not threaten Government, none of you, unions, ever came to government offices to try to resolve this matter. We only see you on Television condemning and threatening Government with ultimatums. The Under 5 media tribal leader even offered legal aid to nurses.”

    Like Mandela said, we run government affairs while the tribal leader and his surrogates run the affairs of tribal groupings. As we speak, the tribal leader, is out there campaigning amongst chiefs.

  13. THIS masupha guy is very dull, this move by govt will be a bad precedent coz even investors will now be dissmissing at will! Govt went all out to protect the 3000 shoprite workers who were dismissed for illegal work stoppage and the same should apply here. every single job matters, these nurses have small children to take to school, consider the broader picture.

  14. Very disappointed with ZFE. I thought Unions are more like Lawyers who defend their clients even they know that they are wrong. When politicians are increasing their salaries no one disputes. ZFE are corrupt they can not defend their member.

    • Its a Union for employers not employees. they are merely sending a message to govt saying next time shoprite workers go on strike we shall do the same and we wont be blamed.

  15. Ok now since the nurses have apologized to GRZ , can GRZ forgive them. GRZ you are a father and Mother, please forgive your children who were misled by under 5 HH. Now they have known that HH can not provide jobs for them. Please GRZ , Sata inparticular forgive them. I know how hard it is when one has no salary.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

  16. Ba Alfred mwalasebanapofye. In fact just go back to your country ku Zimbabwe dont think we don’t know you. Elyo I know you are happy because your wife was not a properly qualified ZEN and she is no longer in employment. To Hell with you

  17. I FEEL THAT BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NURSES ERRED. NON OF THE TWO PARTIES WAS WILLING TO COMPROMISE. INSTEAD EACH PARTY INSISTED ON ITS STANCE. I DO NOT SUPPORT THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE NURSES, BUT I ALSO DO NOT SUPPORT THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT.
    FIRING THE NURSES IS NOT THE SOLUTION. THIS MATTER HAS NOT BEEN LAID TO REST.
    A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOW HURTING.
    WE NOW HAVE A GROUP OF EMPLOYEES IN THE MOH WHO ARE VERY DISGRUNTLED WITH THE GOVERNMENT. THESE PEOPLE, THEIR RELATIVES AND DEPENDANTS ARE VERY ANNOYED WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY. THIS ANGER WILL GO ON. MIND YOU THESE ARE ALSO VOTERS. THEY VOTED FOR THE PF AND THEY WERE ALSO SINGING “DONT KUBEBA”. BUT THIS IS THE REWARD THEY RECEIVE. PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TO SEE HOW BEST TO RESOLVE THE IMPASSE

  18. So now it is clear that the nurses erred in their actions and the consequence strike, now that someone is considering forgiving them and reinstating them, we should also consider what was the effect of their unwarranted strike and charge them accordingly. ZCTU should always engage govt and discuss these issues and only when they fail to reach an agreement should strikes be considered.

  19. Joyce Nonde and This Musapo or whatever they call are protecting the finger that feeds them, if this was during RB’s time Joyce Nonde would have been on an anthill to insult the whole government but now that their pockets are well being maintained they go against their own members……….maybe workers should stop contributing to these useless unions

  20. what do you expect when you have fo ol s like alfred and shamenda. let alfred go to zim and see if bob will listen to him. next time, don’t vote for alfred as zfe president.

  21. NESI NGATALIPO BONSE ABA NI BANGWELE DANCING LIKE A CADRE AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH

    SORIDARITY FOREVA VIVA GRZ
    VIVA SHAMENDA
    VIVA ZAMBIANS
    VIVA PATIENTS

  22. @2.1 saulosi
    Dont mention HH anywhere near the word sympathy. Not long ago, one of his employees stole half a cow from his farm. HH made sure the whole police in SP pursued the poor fellow, arrested, jailed him. Despite HH owning lots of aromatic alderhyde animals,he never forgave the half animal stealing poor fellow.

    Ilyashi lya tusoswe twanaka, let them remain fired thats what they dared grz to do. Why should they seek sympathy just coz monthend has come and banks want their loan repayments.

  23. Who doesn’t know your interests in all this saga? You will use this incidence to justify your membership’s dismissal of your employees.

  24. I am reliably informed that Shamenda has a taste for nice girls and women. Shamenda should chat up that ZUFIAW woman. I am sure she can treat him nicely. She appears very experienced in these matters. Mr Shamenda, dont start comparing with those small girls, lizzy, purity,susana, perpetual, Maureen, cepisso etc.

  25. This ZFE President Alfred Masupha is mad how does he say this when these were same people who praised Chansa Kabwela who was corrupted by SATA given a job as First Secretary in Malawi after photo graphing a woman giving birth in a tax when nurses went on strike in 2011 during RB rule and this same UKWA (SATA) made political milige using that same photo. today u have soo called unions leaders who talk carelessly like that is not fair

  26. UKWA (SATA) with his own dirty mouth he promised the nurses 100 per cent in 2012 at open meeting when he directed the minister of health and finance to implement the directive without fail, now the same mouth of UKWA (SATA) turns around and direct to fire same people who are reminding him his promise and directive he gave to his ministers where are we going as a country with this ukwa who can not keep all of his own words

  27. Mwine mushi always tell Kasaka the root cause….So what is the root cause of this problem which lead to dismisals was it that the nurses were promised? and the promises were not fulfilled? is that there is still some disparities in there salary?where those disparities addressed? Where was the union when they staged a stay off? The root cause need to be established?

  28. There is need to strike a balance between two wrongs here, as well as find a compromise that will work for the benefit of patients. I think the govts. handling of the promises, pay rises, further promises for adjustments e.t.c has been shambolic to say the least. The nurses did also not help the matter by resolutely sticking to an illegal withdrawal of labour. I see a vicious circle here. Nurses have always justified their bad nursing attitudes to bad conditions of service (which is debatable in regard to what is expected in their noble calling) Hence, a package that is reasonable in the economic climate (which again, govt. needs to sort out) should be offered in exchange for proper nursing attitudes and strict code of conduct. Nurses should behave as such and earn respect.

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