Nurses Announce Fresh Three-Day Strike for April 20–22

HARARE — The Zimbabwean public healthcare system is bracing for a total shutdown next week as the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) officially announced a nationwide strike from April 20 to April 22, 2026. The notice, issued by ZINA President Enock Dongo late Tuesday, comes as a direct response to the "token" salary adjustments recently implemented by the government, which nurses say are an insult to the profession given the hyper-inflationary environment and soaring cost of living.

The upcoming industrial action follows the eleventh-hour withdrawal of a strike originally planned for this week (April 15–17). While the union initially paused to allow for dialogue with the Health Service Commission (HSC), the feedback from members after the latest pay cycle was overwhelmingly negative.

"The salary review was only done as a token and not seriously meant to address the plight of nurses," the association stated in its legal notice. "Our members have resolved that isolated demonstrations are no longer effective. We require a unified, nationwide act to show the depth of our desperation."

At the heart of the dispute is a widening gap between static wages and explosive transport costs. With fuel prices recently surging to US$2.17 per litre, nurses report that their monthly transport allowance, roughly ZiG500 (approx. US$15), is exhausted within three days of commuting. Current Demands of the Nurses Association:

• Base Salary Benchmarking: Restoring salaries to the pre-2018 benchmark of US$540 for the lowest-paid worker.

• Night Duty Allowance: An upward review from the current sub-US$50 rate to at least US$200.

• COLA Introduction: The urgent implementation of a meaningful Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to cushion against the 40% rise in basic commodity prices seen this quarter.

• Transparent Payroll: An end to "unexplained deductions" and the regular issuance of electronic payslips.

  
  

In an internal circular, ZINA leadership urged hospital and provincial representatives to mobilize staff across all ten provinces, emphasizing that this strike will include rural clinics and district centers to ensure "maximum impact."

However, in a move to maintain ethical standards and prevent avoidable loss of life, the association has instructed all staff stationed in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and Critical Care Units to remain at their posts. "We are not abandoners of the sick; we are workers who can no longer afford to be at the bedside," a ZINA representative noted.

The government, through presidency spokesman George Charamba, has urged "patience," promising that "good tidings" are coming. However, for nurses who have seen their colleagues arrested in Marondera and Sally Mugabe Hospital over the last month, the time for patience has clearly expired.The Zimbabwean public healthcare system is bracing for a total shutdown next week as the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) officially announced a nationwide strike from April 20 to April 22, 2026.

The notice, issued by ZINA President Enock Dongo late Tuesday, comes as a direct response to the "token" salary adjustments recently implemented by the government, which nurses say are an insult to the profession given the hyper-inflationary environment and soaring cost of living.

The upcoming industrial action follows the eleventh-hour withdrawal of a strike originally planned for this week (April 15–17). While the union initially paused to allow for dialogue with the Health Service Commission (HSC), the feedback from members after the latest pay cycle was overwhelmingly negative.

"The salary review was only done as a token and not seriously meant to address the plight of nurses," the association stated in its legal notice. "Our members have resolved that isolated demonstrations are no longer effective. We require a unified, nationwide act to show the depth of our desperation."

At the heart of the dispute is a widening gap between static wages and explosive transport costs. With fuel prices recently surging to US$2.17 per litre, nurses report that their monthly transport allowance, roughly ZiG500 (approx. US$15), is exhausted within three days of commuting. Current Demands of the Nurses Association:

• Base Salary Benchmarking: Restoring salaries to the pre-2018 benchmark of US$540 for the lowest-paid worker.

• Night Duty Allowance: An upward review from the current sub-US$50 rate to at least US$200.

• COLA Introduction: The urgent implementation of a meaningful Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to cushion against the 40% rise in basic commodity prices seen this quarter.

• Transparent Payroll: An end to "unexplained deductions" and the regular issuance of electronic payslips.

In an internal circular, ZINA leadership urged hospital and provincial representatives to mobilize staff across all ten provinces, emphasizing that this strike will include rural clinics and district centers to ensure "maximum impact."

However, in a move to maintain ethical standards and prevent avoidable loss of life, the association has instructed all staff stationed in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and Critical Care Units to remain at their posts. "We are not abandoners of the sick; we are workers who can no longer afford to be at the bedside," a ZINA representative noted.

The government, through presidency spokesman George Charamba, has urged "patience," promising that "good tidings" are coming. However, for nurses who have seen their colleagues arrested in Marondera and Sally Mugabe Hospital over the last month, the time for patience has clearly expired.

Zimbabwe nurses strike April 20-22 2026