Health Minister's Arrest Puts Govt, Workers' Meeting In Jeopardy
The meeting between the government and the Zimbabwe Nurses Union was on Saturday suspended following the arrest of the minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo on Friday.
Moyo who is facing criminal abuse of office charges was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission and was yesterday granted $50 000 bail.
Since Thursday, the majority of health caregivers in public health institutions across the country have not been reporting for work demanding that the government pays them in foreign currency.
Speaking to The Standard after the meeting was called off, Zimbabwe Nurses Union president Robert Chiduku said:
The government had called for the meeting. They wanted to see us. Today (yesterday) we had more health workers joining the strike except for a few, who are either related to bosses or were corruptly employed, reporting for work.
But generally in the whole country, the majority of the health workers are on strike.
Chiduku added that workers will not go back to work until the government has agreed to pay them in foreign currency and improve their working conditions.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Republic Police reportedly arrested protesting nurses at Victoria Chitepo Hospital in Mutare.
More: The Standard
