Paul Nyathi

ZIMBABWEAN authorities on Thursday summoned dozens of nurses in Bulawayo to appear before a disciplinary tribunal to answer to charges of misconduct for allegedly failing to report for duty after government re-introduced longer working hours for the medical practitioners.

At United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH), the first group of 44 nurses
represented by Jabulani Mhlanga and Prisca Dube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights were called in to appear before the disciplinary tribunal on Thursday.

In a letter written to the nurses, UBH Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Narcisius Dzvanga alleged that the nurses, who were suspended on Friday 30 October, committed acts of misconduct by failing to obey a lawful instruction by not reporting for duty after being notified to stop the flexible working hours and resume working for the normal 40 hours per week.

Dzvanga charged that through their alleged misconduct, the nurses had breached section 4 of the Labour (National Employment Code of Conduct) Regulations, Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006.

The nurses were suspended from duty without salaries and advised to stop reporting for work as doing so would enable them interfere with some unnamed witnesses.

Nurses have for several months been reporting for duty at short
working hours per week to compensate for their poor salaries. However, government recently discarded the flexible working regime and increased duty hours for the nurses to 40 per week.