Nurses to take their case to the Labour Commissioner

LABOUR Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja has requested the leadership of the Namibia Nurses’ Union (Nanu) to make a written request for a conciliation board before they opt for taking Government to court.

Shinguadja told Nanu that his office was willing to appoint a conciliation board to hear nurses’ concerns and the response from the Ministry of Health over a payment dispute for work done on Sundays and public holidays. Nanu Secretary General Abner Shopati said yesterday they would follow the normal procedures in applying for a conciliation board before deciding what steps to take next.If the dispute is not settled at conciliation board level, Nanu members will decide whether they go to the High Court or opt for a national strike.Shopati said Shinguadja had requested some documents so that he could make a decision.”We are about to submit them.Hopefully we will know the outcome by next week,” he said.He said all nurses at operational level were affected by Government’s decision not to pay them for working on Sundays and public holidays.He estimated that there were roughly 1 000 nurses at State and semi-state health institutions.The Nanu leadership decided to take Government to court following nationwide consultations with nurses on whether they should proceed with the action.The Ministry of Health reduced the rate of payment for nurses on Sundays and public holidays by half from April 1 this year.Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula said earlier that it was done because there were various interpretations of the Labour Act, which had led to overpayment of nurses in the past.”However, Government introduced a new system that is being used by the Ministry of Finance.We no longer do calculations manually and many people are unhappy because they used to get overpaid,” Shangula said.Nanu is adamant that the Labour Act says the rate must be double the normal hourly rate.Nanu Secretary General Abner Shopati said yesterday they would follow the normal procedures in applying for a conciliation board before deciding what steps to take next.If the dispute is not settled at conciliation board level, Nanu members will decide whether they go to the High Court or opt for a national strike.Shopati said Shinguadja had requested some documents so that he could make a decision.”We are about to submit them.Hopefully we will know the outcome by next week,” he said.He said all nurses at operational level were affected by Government’s decision not to pay them for working on Sundays and public holidays.He estimated that there were roughly 1 000 nurses at State and semi-state health institutions.The Nanu leadership decided to take Government to court following nationwide consultations with nurses on whether they should proceed with the action.The Ministry of Health reduced the rate of payment for nurses on Sundays and public holidays by half from April 1 this year.Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula said earlier that it was done because there were various interpretations of the Labour Act, which had led to overpayment of nurses in the past.”However, Government introduced a new system that is being used by the Ministry of Finance.We no longer do calculations manually and many people are unhappy because they used to get overpaid,” Shangula said.Nanu is adamant that the Labour Act says the rate must be double the normal hourly rate.