After a three months lull in the implementation of the 21% salary increment negotiated between Government and CSAWUZ ( Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia) in March of this year which should have come into effect on 1st September 2013, nurses hoping to better their lot acted in frustration and went on strike on November 22.
Following this, under the directive of the president over 100 nurses were dismissed effective December 2, 2013.
The dismissal of the nurses leaves a gulf in the ever growing needs for medical staff most of whom have since left the country for what is widely perceived as greener pastures.
The current crisis which has paralysed operations in most of the country’s bigger hospitals comes against a backdrop of government insincerity and lack of political will to rectify glaring salary disparities for the few overworked nursing staff even after making largely unfulfilled promises.
It would seem old habits die hard indeed as a walk into history reveals President Sata’s penchant for acting on the spur of the moment. He is on record for indiscriminately firing medical doctors when he was Health Minister under the Chiluba regime leading to an unprecedented brain drain of course his Labour Minister has denied this.
The action by the PF government has gotten mixed reactions from the countries top opposition parties among which MMD,UPND and the labour movement who have all condemned the government in the strongest terms possible and called for an immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the nursing staff.
It is time the government realised that “The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that things are not mended again.” – Alan Paton, Cry The Beloved Country. There is room for forgiveness, room to make things right, room to gather what was scattered.
Yes the nurses could have acted ultra vires, yes the nurses defied direct verbal instructions , however, it must also be recalled the government did admit through the Labour Minister that the calls for revised salaries was justified and indeed long overdue. In addition the government took too long to implement an eagerly anticipated and mutually consented salary revision.
Against this background, the clarion call is for government to reconsider its position and rescind the decision that borders on callousness and heavy-handedness and look at how many lives will be impacted should the status quo remain unchanged.
Leadership isn’t always about asserting authority but also demands patience, understanding and mercy but of all these love for the people who put us in office is paramount.
We hasten to request the government to heed the calls of the majority and act justly knowing it is some if not all the people they have consigned to the streets that could per chance keep them in office. The words of the bible could not be more apt: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5: 7
We lost people when these nurses were dancing those that are saying re-instante the nurses you are useless,did these nurses think of the needy patients who needed them at the time they were dancing?lts finished like those who died during there sitting.go to the grave and bring those people to life and be re-instated.
The only justifiable reason for any worker to declare industrial dispute with an employer or to embark on a strike action is when the employer has refused to rectify the anomaly in the settlement or the employer refuses to back date the settlement.
Government did realize the mistake and was already looking into nurses’ grievances. So why did they leave wards to sing and dance to the kwasa kwasa music as our patients languished in hospitals?
Nursing is not a job. Its a calling
What happens now? That is easy, I witnessed somebody dying while they were sung and dancing, tell them to sing and dance till they get to hell!!! Don’t even reinstate them; these are the same fools who will be busy on Facebook and what’s up, ignoring patients in long queues.
Are you a amasido or umuzindo? Your thinking sounds lyk you are the later?
You are the one who sounds like you think using you rectum…are you one of the fired stup!d nurses?
the fact that over 100 were fired when over 500 participated in the strike sends serious signals to the nurses, workers in general and the labour movement. what cud have happened? they were not as united as they potrayed; and in any group that is not cohesive there will be traitors. nurses betrayed each other, that is why some are not fired, other are. so as you do something as an individual, look around and be observant, others could not be with you. sorry colleagues in the nursing fratenity, we pray the govt will revisit their decision
These nurses should now stand on their feet and join us who have been lamenting over the failed regime of the PF. It is now time to fight for what is right. It is time to let the PF know that they will not reign forever but soon we shall hit them harder than their Panga Fighting battle. We should hit them hard in the voting booth! PF must go no matter what! They have failed to govern this country!