By Talent Gondo| High Court Judge Justice Amy Tsanga will this Thursday 26 April 2018 preside over the urgent chamber application filed by the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZNA) seeking an order to restrain and interdict the Health Services Board (HSB), Health and Child Care Minister Hon. David Parirenyatwa and Vice-President Hon. Constantino Chiwenga from terminating the services of striking nurses and to stop the government from recruiting new staff to replace them.

ZNA filed an urgent chamber application in the High Court on Friday 20 April 2018 seeking an order to stop the HSB, Hon. Parirenyatwa and Vice-President Chiwenga from terminating the nurses’ services and to nullify the termination of their employment contracts.

The ZNA filed the urgent chamber application, arguing that the purported summary dismissal of some striking nurses was not justified.

“The conduct of the nurses was legal as they were exercising their labour rights,” said the ZNA, which is represented by Precious Chakasikwa and Bernard Chidziva of Kantor and Immerman Legal Practitioners.

The organisation argued that there is no justification by anyone to terminate the nurses’ contracts of employment as they had embarked on a lawful collective job action.

“ZNA wants the High Court to restrain and interdict the HSB, Hon. Parirenyatwa and Vice-President Chiwenga from terminating the services of nurses at state-run hospitals and in the event that the respondents proceed with the termination of the employment contracts, the termination be declared null and void,” said the ZNA.

In addition, the organisation wants the respondents to be barred from filling the employment positions for those who have been fired.