Hundreds of Zimbabwean nurses have gone on strike following the government’s failure to pay them last year’s annual bonuses.
Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association secretary general, Enock Dongo, told VOA Studio 7 that the strike has paralyzed state hospitals in most parts of the country with indications that most nurses downed their tools Tuesday.
Dongo said the government has failed to pay the thirteenth cheques and address some challenges, including serious workloads and other issues, which were supposed to be taken care of by the state in 2015.
“The government has not addressed all our grievances like allowances and to make matters worse it has not yet paid us the 2016 annual bonuses. So, we have decided to take this industrial action … ” said Dongo.
He said they have not necessarily joined the doctors’ strike, which started last week, but decided to down tools so that the government can address their outstanding and current grievances.
Doctors went on strike over call-in allowances and other issues. The move has almost crippled public health services in Zimbabwe.