There seems to be a certain sense of contentment by the government with the on-going strike action by nurses. Government does not seem bothered by the status quo.
It seems to be business as usual with Health Minister Joseph Kasonde and his labour counterpart Fackson Shamenda only making passing comments about the strike action. If anything government has been more aggressive touting nurses as having a mercenary streak to them.
Five days of industrial action has left the University Teaching Hospital in a coma as it is barely hanging on – no doubt lives have been lost and more are still being lost. But why the silence by government?
Government brought this mess upon themselves because they made such a big fuss about the increment of salaries when the collective bargaining process had been concluded. His Excellency President Michael Sata led the anthem with an announcement that it was a historic moment in the life of Zambia that salaries had been increased across the board by as high as 200 percent.
His Excellency rumbled before television cameras about how so much he cared about civil servants and how their lives would be bettered by their new ‘MORE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS’. With that the nurses who are among the lowest paid civil servants were bracing themselves for at least a more than 100 percent increment. Did not His Excellency not say the lowest paid workers will get the biggest increment?
Remember health workers and nurses in particular are a politician’s meal when it comes to promises during the campaign period. Did not his Excellency whip up emotions among teachers and nurses when he promised to increase their salaries once in power to ensure that they stayed in the country and not seek greener pastures across the borders of our country. Did they not get hooked on his sermon of economic liberation?
Did he not ridicule their uniforms as being tattered promising to dress them once in power? So today when nurses raise the flag on the LYING politicians there are attempts to says they are heaRtless. Who is heartless! Did you not say they will get at least K5, 000 and they did not ask you to lie to them.
There is an apt Tonga adage that captures the scenario beautifully- muchenge ng’ombe machete atakoni (promise a poor man riches and he will not sleep). Surely Minister Shamenda thinks the problems will just vanish by just flaunting his beard in his office and refusing to meet the nurses.
Did Shamenda not before the loyal national cameras promise that the discrepancies in the pay roll structure will be addressed in two weeks time? Has not a month elapsed without word from Shamenda? Just before you forget, the nurses are not fooled that a public relations stunt that negotiations be given a chance will work.
It was tried last time and its failure is part of the reason they are striking. Besides it is difficult to negotiate when everyone knows there is a wage freeze in place.
So please do not give us that heartless vibe we know the nurses deserve better to save our lives! No doubt come 2016 every politician will be on hand to once again sing how they will better the health sector and staff remuneration – how cheap!
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