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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has assured nurses who did not take part in last month’s industrial action that they will receive their standby and night duty allowances as promised.

Nurses went on a week-long strike last month demanding a review of their allowances and rationalisation of the grading system, forcing Government hospitals to shut down some critical departments.

Some nurses, however, stayed at work while others were called from vacations to fill in the gaps.

The ministry’s acting Permanent Secretary, Dr Robert Mudyiradima, yesterday assured the non-striking nurses that they would all get their                                        allowances.

“Please be advised that nurses who did not participate in the industrial action were paid advances for the standby, night duty and post basic allowances for the month of April, 2018.

“These advances have reflected on the May, 2018 pay sheet. It’s further noted that some did not receive the advances yet the advance deduction has been effected on the May 2018 pay sheet,” said Dr Mudyiradima in a statement yesterday.

He advised the nurses that the error has been rectified and the deducted amounts have been deposited into the affected members’ bank accounts. This comes after nurses received lump sum payments on Monday of up to $5 000 from Government as payment of outstanding allowances.

The health workers, most of them Primary Health Care nurses (PCNs), were shocked after receiving between $500 to about $5 200 in their bank accounts without any formal communication from their employer.

The ministry allayed any fears saying the payments were in order and the nurses should not be afraid to spend the money as it was what the Government owed them.

The Government said the Registered General Nurses (RGNs) were deprived more on their basic salary than transport and housing allowances resulting in them receiving less than half of what PCNs got in the backdated payments.

The payments were effected on Monday following the release of US$17 million by Government about a month ago to end a month long looming nurses’  strike.

This resulted in an upward increase of nurses’ night duty allowances, introduction of standby allowances for nurses working in rural areas, upward review of doctors on call allowances and payment of dues to workers who were wrongly graded since 2010. — @pamelashumba1