Toe the line, or else, Minister tells nurses

GOVERNMENT would respond swiftly, efficiently and accordingly, if nurses go on strike, Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi said yesterday, warning of “grave” consequences.

The Minister, who has been travelling the country to try and stave off possible action by nurses, was addressing about 90 nurses from the Engela District Hospital and other health facilities in the Ohangwena Region. The Namibia Nurses’ Union (Nanu) has said it will approach the Labour Court if Government does not respond to its demands by January 19.Only if these efforts failed, nurses would vote on a strike.Kamwi said although he could not say what steps Government would take, he would meet with Prime Minister Nahas Angula, Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb and Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja to map out the legal implications of a strike.”And I think the Ministry of Justice might also be called in,” he said.Kamwi urged nurses to respect the laws of the land.”If you do not, the consequences are likely to be grave.But if there are those with muscle, they are likely to be sorry,” he said.The standoff is rooted in a dispute over the calculation of nurses’ pay for work done on Sundays and public holidays.Earlier, Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula maintained that nurses were still receiving overtime payment but for only part of their shifts on Sundays and public holidays.He said the change was implemented on April 1 2006 but that the overtime system had already been changed in 1998.According to Shangula, nurses had been overpaid for years because of varying interpretations of the Labour Act.Shangula has blamed his management team for not properly explaining the changes to the nurses.Kamwi yesterday once again laid into Nanu.He claimed that the union was misleading nurses and its demands could not be entertained, as it was not a recognised bargaining agent for nurses.The Minister said Government recognised the Namibian Public Workers Union (Napwu) as the bargaining agent for nurses, and nurses’ problems should be addressed through Napwu.For their part, many nurses have turned their back on Napwu, which they say has not acted in their best interests or not acted at all.Government ignored the nurses grievances for months and eventually, as frustrations started to boil over, started touting the recognition issue.The Labour Commissioner subsequently told Nanu to declare a dispute with the Office of the Prime Minister over recognition.Nanu followed his advice and is now awaiting a response which, in terms of labour legislation, they should receive by Friday.If Government fails to respond, Nanu can approach the Labour Court.Speaking on national radio yesterday, Shinguadja said the ball was now in Government’s court.”It was up to Government to respond by Friday.If Government refused to recognise Nanu, the union should launch a challenge in the Labour Court,” he said.Yesterday Kamwi told nurses it was their right to belong to any union of their choice, but they needed to know who their employers are.”For health workers – including you – your concerns can only be accommodated through Napwu,” Kamwi emphasised.Some nurses at the Engela Hospital took part in the December 6 demonstration and made some demands from the Ministry, which Kamwi dismissed as ”ridiculous”.In their petition, Engela nurses asked the Ministry to pay student nurses the same salaries as those of medical interns.Kamwi said this was not feasible, because medical interns were qualified doctors who had already completed their studies.The nurses also asked the Ministry to pay nurses according to their qualifications and demanded that Permanent Secretary Shangula should go.The Namibia Nurses’ Union (Nanu) has said it will approach the Labour Court if Government does not respond to its demands by January 19.Only if these efforts failed, nurses would vote on a strike.Kamwi said although he could not say what steps Government would take, he would meet with Prime Minister Nahas Angula, Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb and Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja to map out the legal implications of a strike.”And I think the Ministry of Justice might also be called in,” he said.Kamwi urged nurses to respect the laws of the land.”If you do not, the consequences are likely to be grave.But if there are those with muscle, they are likely to be sorry,” he said.The standoff is rooted in a dispute over the calculation of nurses’ pay for work done on Sundays and public holidays. Earlier, Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula maintained that nurses were still receiving overtime payment but for only part of their shifts on Sundays and public holidays.He said the change was implemented on April 1 2006 but that the overtime system had already been changed in 1998.According to Shangula, nurses had been overpaid for years because of varying interpretations of the Labour Act.Shangula has blamed his management team for not properly explaining the changes to the nurses.Kamwi yesterday once again laid into Nanu.He claimed that the union was misleading nurses and its demands could not be entertained, as it was not a recognised bargaining agent for nurses.The Minister said Government recognised the Namibian Public Workers Union (Napwu) as the bargaining agent for nurses, and nurses’ problems should be addressed through Napwu.For their part, many nurses have turned their back on Napwu, which they say has not acted in their best interests or not acted at all.Government ignored the nurses grievances for months and eventually, as frustrations started to boil over, started touting the recognition issue.The Labour Commissioner subsequently told Nanu to declare a dispute with the Office of the Prime Minister over recognition.Nanu followed his advice and is now awaiting a response which, in terms of labour legislation, they should receive by Friday.If Government fails to respond, Nanu can approach the Labour Court.Speaking on national radio yesterday, Shinguadja said the ball was now in Government’s court.”It was up to Government to respond by Friday.If Government refused to recognise Nanu, the union should launch a challenge in the Labour Court,” he said.Yesterday Kamwi told nurses it was their right to belong to any union of their choice, but they needed to know who their employers are.”For health workers – including you – your concerns can only be accommodated through Napwu,” Kamwi emphasised.Some nurses at the Engela Hospital took part in the December 6 demonstration and made some demands from the Ministry, which Kamwi dismissed as ”ridiculous”.In their petition, Engela nurses asked the Ministry to pay student nurses the same salaries as those of medical interns.Kamwi said this was not feasible, because medical interns were qualified doctors who had already completed their studies.The nurses also asked the Ministry to pay nurses according to their qualifications and demanded that Permanent Secretary Shangula should go.