Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji has said Government owes 20 000 nurses over US$5 million in unpaid salaries and allowances due to a grading system anomaly.
The nurses were wrongly graded in D1 when Government changed its grading system. Gwinji said consultations are underway with Treasury to pay those affected. He also said Government will also regrade the affected nurses so that it doesn’t accumulate the debt. The experienced nurses graded in D1 earn US$419, which is less than some junior nurses who earn around US$600 monthly.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary-general Mr Enoch Dongo expressed concern over the delay in payment of outstanding salaries and allowances.
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The government should also seriously consider reviewing rural allowances for teachers who are patriotic but suffering out there without any incentive to boost their moral. Compared to their urban counterparts the rural teachers are like second class in the proffession having to drink borehole water no electricity no ztv or radio signal no network in most areas but the thank u they get is an insulting $14 ‘rural allowance’. Its even very difficult for a rural teacher to upgrade themselves proffessionally due to to prohibitive transport costs to attend some face ti face consultations with lecturers and hand in assignments. Worse still we do not have any wifi facilities to research and even electricity to use laptops to type and print our work yet our pleas are jus ignored and the fortunate town teachers are enjoying better working conditions. Please review our rural allowance so as to boost our moral and put us at the same level as our urban counterparts we have been looked down upona for so long. Atleast $150.00 rural allowance is reasonable.