‘Nurses’ risk allowances under review’, says Mombeshora amid renewed tensions among health workers

GOVERNMENT has said it is in the process of reviewing nurses’ risk allowances in a bid to calm the disgruntled health workforce.

Nurses are at loggerheads with government over poor salaries, which they argue have been eroded by the prevailing economic environment.

The health workers have, on numerous occasions, staged industrial action against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration, bemoaning the lack of a wage review.

Speaking in the National Assembly recently, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare stopped short of saying government would not yield to the demands for a salary review as put forward by the nurses.

“Government is further evaluating a submission made by the health workers to increase health-specific and risk allowances applicable to health workers, according to prevailing economic conditions and available fiscal space.

“Further engagements to consider the workers’ position will be addressed through the Best Negotiated Package (BNP), a platform for negotiations between the employer and health workers,” said Mombeshora.

Nurses are demanding that their salaries be reviewed from the current level of just below US$300, mixed with a local currency component, to US$600.

According to the health workers, government has not addressed the allowances, which were last reviewed in 2022 and have been eroded by the rise in basic costs such as transport and housing.

“Proposals have been made, and the first proposals for allowances that were made were adjusted. We now await the new proposals, because when we have new proposals which are discussed between the Health Service Commission and the health workers, they are put together and presented to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, who in turn will present them to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.

“I think that is the stage where we are at now, for the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to have the discussions with the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, with the comprehensive list of allowances which were last reviewed in 2022,” said Mombeshora further.

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