HARARE – The Health Services Board (HSB) says it will begin disciplinary hearings for striking doctors this week – even in their absence.
Doctors have been on strike since September 3 after declaring “incapacitation”. They want their salaries indexed to the United States dollar at the prevailing interbank rate, which the broke government says it cannot afford.
The pay impasse led to the government going to court, accusing the doctors of engaging in an illegal strike. The Labour Court agreed with the government, giving the doctors 48 hours to return to work.
The doctors have dug in, saying the Labour Court’s judgment is unenforceable due to low salaries which make it impossible for them to turn up for work. The doctors have also ignored invitations to disciplinary hearings.
HSB board chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana said: “The law allows the process to occur without them. In terms of the labour laws, the disciplinary hearings will be conducted by the respective health institutions, even if the doctors are absent the hearing will proceed and the law will take its course.
“Doctors have been given a platform to negotiate in terms of the two negotiating platforms that are recognised by law (Tripartite Negotiating Forum and Bipartite Negotiating Forum).
“Lately, they have refused to be part of those platforms saying they want a separate negotiating platform, but that requires a review of the current laws.
“Until that is done, the government can only negotiate with them through the existing negotiation platforms.”
