Health workers at one of the top hospitals in Zimbabwe downed tools on Wednesday demanding urgent talks with the government after their salaries were abruptly cut by at least 50 percent.
The protests took place in Harare, where nurses, doctors, radiographers, and other support staff demanded answers over the varying deductions including allowances for COVID-19 frontline workers.
The protesting health workers said they were earning between $7,000-$10,000 Zimbabwean dollars (ZWL) per month ($100USD-$130USD) before their earnings were cut to ZWL$3,500-$5,000 (35UD-45USD) amid run-away inflation now at around 900%.
The average salary for a registered nurse in South Africa is R 31.877,95 per month which when converted at the Zimbabwe interbank rate is around 2,500USD, a registered Zambian nurse is earning about six times a Zimbabwean nurse.
If not treaded carefully, protests by these health workers can hamper all efforts to deal with COVID-19 in a country that has confirmed cases rising every day.
