It’s not possible for health workers to believe that there is no money – Luo

It’s not possible for health workers to believe that there is no money – Luo
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe, Christopher Miti and Mutuna Chanda
Sunday, June 28, 2009 4:50:33 PM

FORMER minister of health Professor Nkandu Luo has said it is not possible for health workers to believe that there is no money when a small percentage of people who are not working as hard are getting rich.

And Health Workers Union of Zambia (HWUZ) Lusaka provincial secretary Bruno Tembo said it is clear that the government would not improve the health workers' conditions of service going by President Rupiah Banda’s national address last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, health workers in Lusaka have vowed to continue with the strike despite health minister Kapembwa Simbao's order to them to resume work tomorrow, failure to which they would be sacked.

In an interview, Prof Luo said strikes by health workers had always meant disasters. She said all Zambians knew that members of parliament would get their gratuity.

"They will get about K420 million and if you multiply that by 150 constituencies, then you say to a health worker who doesn't sleep when everybody else is sleeping to care for patients that there is no money. What are difficulties if there is money to pay mid-term gratuity? It makes it very difficult to discuss with health workers when there are huge allowances being given at the National Constitutional Conference," she observed.

Prof Luo said nurses had a very important role to play in health institutions and no institution could operate without them. She said nurses were the majority of all the staff in health institutions.

"Doctors come and leave instructions with nurses, even lab technicians, they go to the labs and the statements end up with the nurses," she said.

Prof Luo said if the nurses were fired, it would be a disaster to the health sector, as it would be paralysed. She said if someone had to document the number of casualties during this strike, the outcome would be very sad. Prof Luo said giving ultimatums was not a way of resolving the problem.

Prof Luo said the best way would be to negotiate because it was difficult for anyone to say that there was no money when a small percentage of people were getting rich and yet they did not work as hard as nurses.

And Tembo said intimidation would not help convince the health workers to resume work. He said only proper language and good reassurance would help.

"The health workers have indicated that they can go back for work if only government can assure them that their demands will be addressed with timeframe tagged to it, not through intimidation. I am appealing to the health minister Honourable Simbao not to use unpalatable words," he said

"Workers are suffering hence the demands they are asking. The minister is aware that the sector is limping in terms of workforce and he is already saying that he fires the only patriotic impoverished Zambians who have remained in the country despite the difficult conditions."

Tembo said it was clear that other conditions of service would not be given since the collective agreement document was already signed, which was supposed to accommodate all the workers' demands.

He appealed to the health workers to resume work so that they could organise themselves for the next move.

"Let us work according to prescribed parameter of our jobs; for example one nurse to attend to eight patients only and not to work the way we are currently working. My fellow workers, we have been defeated by this government, which has no remorse. We are down but not out," he said.

"I know you are bleeding because our transport to the graves [hearses] is already bought by this government which claims to have no money."

Tembo appealed to the national union leaders to consult members before committing themselves to serious matters, which affect the membership to avoid unnecessary industrial arrests.

In Lusaka, the health workers gathered at UTH near the casualty section.

They resolved not to report for work on Monday and wait for Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba to address them.

And former Chadiza UNIP member of parliament Phillip Zulu has described Simbao's threats to dismiss striking health workers who would not resume work by Monday next week as unfortunate, intimidatory and dictatorial.

Zulu said the government should find a better way of resolving the strike by health workers.

"When a husband and wife differ, the solution is not divorce. If that is taken as a solution, then just know that there is a problem in that house. While I don't condone the strikes by health workers because their consequences are grave I strongly believe that there should be a better way of resolving this issue," Zulu said.

He said the government should suspend the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) and the money could be used to address the issues affecting the health workers.

He said it was very unfortunate that Simbao was advertising for vacancies instead of finding a solution to the nurses' problems.

"A good leader is known for what he does and not what he says. So for the minister to start advertising for vacancies for me it shows lack of professionalism on his part. What he should know is that it takes a lot to train a nurse. Let them know that there is a way in which government can solve this problem. To every problem there is a solution that can be good to both parties and not to one party alone because this solution that the minister is putting up is only good to government alone," said Zulu.

Simbao last Thursday said the government had asked retired health workers and those seeking employment to submit applications to provincial and district health offices.

Simbao said workers that were not interested in working would not be allowed to gather within hospital premises and that those that do not report for work tomorrow should consider themselves fired.

Information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha on Friday evening reiterated the government's stance that failure by the striking nurses to report for work tomorrow would lead to serious disciplinary action resulting in dismissal from work.

And Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) has suspended two of its Ndola District officials on grounds of inciting teachers to continue with strike action.

According to letters of suspension to Ndola District BETUZ chairman Richard Mweetwa and Mutale Kapotwe, union deputy director S. Chipamina stated that the two officials betrayed the union.

"Since the calling off the strike on 12th June 2009, it has come to our attention that illegal meetings have been organised to incite teachers to withdraw membership and labour so that they continue on strike," stated Chipamina.

"In view of this we feel betrayed by your actions hence the above action."

But in response, Mweetwa dismissed the suspension as being illegal and having no basis.

Mweetwa challenged Chipamina to produce evidence of his claims that he incited workers to withdraw their membership.

Mweetwa stated that it was common knowledge that teachers were disappointed with national union leaders for signing the 15 per cent salary increment hence their withdrawal of membership.

And Kapotwe described the allegations against him as totally false.

"This is pure union politics of which I would not like to subject myself or the BETUZ membership to," Kapotwe stated.

"These actions by Mr. Chipamina will only breed divisions and total chaos. I challenge Mr Chipamina to lay his cards on the table. Produce evidence that I have been inciting teachers to continue with the strike if he can."

Meanwhile, striking teachers in Chipata have refused to resume normal operations despite calls from their unions to do so.

One of the teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the teachers wanted a better explanation from their unions for signing a low salary increment.

"Our union leaders ... addressed us at Chipata Day Secondary School and we resolved to go on strike because of a number of reasons that were given at that meeting but now why are they saying we should resume work before giving us reasons why we should go back to work?" the teacher asked.

The teacher said it was bad that workers were being threatened by union leaders and some government officials over their decision to go on strike.

"It's important that they first address our grievances because threatening us will not work. If we are threatened will go back to work quite alright, but are we going to work with a happy mind?" he asked.

But Chipata District ZNUT chairperson Ackson Ngoma said he was not aware that there were some teachers that had not resumed work.