Nurses’ union claims intimidation

THE Namibia Nurses’ Union (Nanu) claims its members are being intimidated and blacklisted.

The union claims that some of its members at the Oshakati State Hospital were in effect fired because they belong to the union. Nanu’s regional co-ordinator in Oshana, Eva Velikoshi, told The Namibian that five nurses, who stuck to their original shifts on March 21 – instead of working a revised shift schedule that allowed nurses to attend the Independence Day celebrations – were summarily removed from the duty roster.”They opted to work the initial shifts made by ward sisters as these duty rosters were more convenient to them and to the ward because they were made with considerations that all nursing care activities in the ward will be covered and nurses are not being exhausted,” Velikoshi said.She claimed that the person in charge of the nursing division, Lellie Nunes, decided “single-handedly to scratch their names out of the duty rosters” – meaning that as from yesterday the nurses were basically fired, as they have no duty station to report to.Velikoshi said she was informed about the fate of the five nurses and told Nunes that her duty rosters were inconvenient and exhausting for nurses.”But she didn’t pay attention to that,” she said.”Who gave her jurisdiction to fire employees? The Ministry is faced with a nurses’ crisis but she is firing nurses.Where will she find nurses to replace these ones? This is pure victimisation and threatening of workers because of union activities.In fact she could have faced the Nanu itself – the address and telephone and organiser’s details were provided (to them),” Velikoshi said.She further claimed that the nurses were instructed to write statements claiming that they were under the supervision of Nanu when they worked the original duty rosters.That, she said, was “still intimidation”.”We will take actions if these people are not reinstated immediately, since they are fired or dismissed.It is unprocedural,” Velikoshi said.The Namibian was unable to reach Nunes for comment.Nanu’s regional co-ordinator in Oshana, Eva Velikoshi, told The Namibian that five nurses, who stuck to their original shifts on March 21 – instead of working a revised shift schedule that allowed nurses to attend the Independence Day celebrations – were summarily removed from the duty roster.”They opted to work the initial shifts made by ward sisters as these duty rosters were more convenient to them and to the ward because they were made with considerations that all nursing care activities in the ward will be covered and nurses are not being exhausted,” Velikoshi said.She claimed that the person in charge of the nursing division, Lellie Nunes, decided “single-handedly to scratch their names out of the duty rosters” – meaning that as from yesterday the nurses were basically fired, as they have no duty station to report to.Velikoshi said she was informed about the fate of the five nurses and told Nunes that her duty rosters were inconvenient and exhausting for nurses.”But she didn’t pay attention to that,” she said.”Who gave her jurisdiction to fire employees? The Ministry is faced with a nurses’ crisis but she is firing nurses.Where will she find nurses to replace these ones? This is pure victimisation and threatening of workers because of union activities.In fact she could have faced the Nanu itself – the address and telephone and organiser’s details were provided (to them),” Velikoshi said.She further claimed that the nurses were instructed to write statements claiming that they were under the supervision of Nanu when they worked the original duty rosters.That, she said, was “still intimidation”.”We will take actions if these people are not reinstated immediately, since they are fired or dismissed.It is unprocedural,” Velikoshi said.The Namibian was unable to reach Nunes for comment.