The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has formally rejected the recently conducted health sector job evaluation exercise, describing it as unfair and not reflective of the realities faced by healthcare workers.
In a letter, addressed to the Health Service Commission (HSC), ZINA president Enock Dongo called for the immediate suspension of the current grading outcomes and the restoration of the previous grading structure pending a fresh evaluation process.
Dongo said the methods used during the evaluation exercise failed to adequately capture the responsibilities, risks and complexities associated with healthcare work.
"The methods used during the evaluation exercise failed to adequately reflect the realities, responsibilities, and complexities of the health sector," said Dongo.
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He said healthcare service delivery is specialised and critical in nature, adding that health workers make life-saving decisions daily in constantly changing environments.
"As such, health sector positions cannot be equated to routine roles found in other ministries and departments," he said.
Dongo added that healthcare workers perform multiple overlapping duties under difficult and resource-constrained conditions, saying these responsibilities were not fully captured during the evaluation process.
"Consequently, the grading outcomes do not accurately reflect the scope, pressure, risks, and demands associated with healthcare professions," he said.
The ZINA president also raised concerns over lack of transparency, inclusivity and meaningful engagement with healthcare workers during the consultations.
"It remains unclear who conducted some of the interviews, while reports indicate that some individuals involved lacked adequate understanding of the health sector and the duties performed by healthcare professionals," said Dongo.
He added that some health workers reported feeling intimidated during the process, negatively affecting their ability to freely explain their responsibilities.
Dongo further said many health workers were not given enough opportunity to fully outline their duties during consultations, a situation he said may have contributed to distorted grading outcomes.
The association warned that the final grading structure appeared skewed, with some grades unfairly disadvantaged while others disproportionately benefited.
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Dongo also claimed the exercise appeared to have been used as a mechanism to avoid meaningful salary adjustments for health workers despite the demanding nature of their work and specialised skills.
In light of the concerns raised, ZINA called for the immediate suspension of the current job evaluation outcomes, restoration of the previous grading structure and a fresh, transparent, consultative and inclusive evaluation process based on sector-specific methods.
"ZINA remains committed to defending the welfare, dignity, and professional recognition of nurses and all healthcare workers in Zimbabwe," said Dongo.
