Maravi

Health workers boo Liato

Health workers boo Liato
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:03:45 PM

HEALTH workers on Monday booed labour minister Austin Liato during a meeting at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) over the ongoing nationwide strike. And Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba said all political leaders should be taken to UTH when they fall ill so that they could use the same equipment that ordinary Zambians use.

Meanwhile, health minister Kapembwa Simbao said he did not attend the meeting on Monday because the issues at hand had to do with labour.

The health workers from Chongwe, Kafue and Lusaka booed the minister and the union leaders as they entered the hall to address them.

The health workers had placards with messages that read "Abash intimidation tactics, Abash Siulapwa, our problem is beyond a minister, we want RB."

Hikaumba began the meeting by saying the matter that had brought them there was a serious one.

He gave the background of the bargaining process and noted that the government leaders might not take the grievances of the health workers seriously because they could travel out of the country for treatment.

"Let us insist even now, let us be all treated equally. No one especially political leaders should go out of the country for treatment. They should be brought here and treated, if they want good treatment, let them make them favourable to their expectations," he said.

He wondered of what benefit it was for Zambia for leaders to fly abroad to treatment and land in the hands of Zambian doctors and nurses.

Hikaumba said there was need to demand for improved conditions of service and improved facilities.

Hikaumba said workers had created problems for themselves by having many unions, saying there was need for unity.

Hikaumba said as a result of the strike action, the Ministry of Health had released K25 billion to settle the outstanding arrears.

At this point, the nurses refused and booed Hikaumba.

Hikaumba said the workers had been complaining about housing allowances and there was no way anybody could find a house for K200,000.

Hikaumba said he was disappointed with some members of parliament who approved a budget that could give civil servants a 14 per cent increment at the most.

He said the parliamentarians kept quiet on civil servants' salaries and that none of them had called for the deferment of payment of mid-term gratuity.

He asked the health workers if their grievances were about salaries and they responded; "no! it's about allowances."

Hikaumba said they would not succumb to intimidation and that the labour movement did not want to hear that any health worker had received a letter of suspension.

And the health workers booed Liato when he stood up to address them.

Liato, whose address was punctuated by heckles from the workers, said the problem could not have been created in the nine months that President Banda had been in office.

"Whether you disagree or not, we have to be factual," Liato said as the workers booed at him.

He said the issue of the housing allowance could be resolved but that the meeting was not appropriate for such negotiations.

Liato said no employer could bargain for conditions of service when the employees were on strike.

He said the health workers had driven their point and they needed to ensure that the due process took effect.

Liato said he did not go to force the workers to resume work but to reason with them.

He said the matter would be treated with the urgency it deserved and asked the workers to return to work.

However, the workers said they would not return to work.

Liato said the health workers' problem could only be resolved when they resume work but they shouted "no" in response.

Liato said the government respected their views and knew of what service they were to the nation as the nurses responded "No you don't know."

And the nurses' representative Hammond Kapapa said the health workers were disappointed with the way the government had handled the situation.

Kapapa said some of the nurses had been in training for close to five years and it had taken 10 days to get an adequate platform to address their grievances.

Kapapa said nurses worked more hours than any civil servant and yet they were not appreciated.

He said they were being insulted through the public media.

On risk allowance, Kapapa said the hospital was a risky area and health workers were exposed to all sorts of air and fluid diseases.

He said they had seen other people being given what they wanted.

Kapapa said the health workers wanted a formal written and signed agreement between the union and the government that they would meet their grievances and a timeframe within which to do so.

And ZCTU secretary general Roy Mwaba said he agreed with the health workers who had been told in the past to wait for improved conditions of service.

Mwaba asked the health workers to give the government four weeks but the health workers refused.

Liato said the government had heard their views and the message would be passed on to President Rupiah Banda.

But Kapapa said the workers would only return to work once the written agreement was signed.

Liato assured the health workers that he would get back to them.

And in an interview after he toured UTH yesterday, Simbao said he agreed with Liato and ZCTU to let the labour minister and the union address the workers in his absence because the matter concerned labour.

"Otherwise I would have come, I have no problems with that," he said.

He said the hospital was quiet and that patients who were there were being attended to by trainee nurses.

Simbao said the doctors were working as well and one could look at it as manageable.

"But when you see that wards have been closed. Then you see that there is a very big problem. A lot of people who are sick cannot be attended to because of the depleted number of people. And that's our concern as government because this is one area that buzzes with numbers. So it is a very difficult situation and hope that this must come to an end and let the sick people get the help that they need," he said.

Simbao said he would follow up the matter as there were some areas that needed to be re-looked.

Simbao was accompanied by his deputy minister Mwendoi Akakandelwa and permanent secretary Dr Velepi Mtonga.

Labels: AUSTIN LIATO, HEALTHCARE, KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, LEONARD HIKAUMBA, UTH

posted by MrK @ 3:04 PM