By Admore Marambanyika

Zimbabwean nurses protesting against low wages and poor working conditions are set to embark on a nationwide strike on 15 April.

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has written to the Health Service Commission advising it of its intentions if their demands are not met.  In a letter dated 26 March 2026 addressed to the Secretary of the Health Service Commission, ZINA said that the strike will commence on 15 April 2026 and last until 17 April 2026. While the notice period outlined in the Health Service Act [Chapter 15:16] is 48 hours, the association stated it had provided a longer notice period to allow for an amicable resolution before the next pay cycle.

“We have been instructed by our members to advise your office that all nurses under your employ are going to embark on a nationwide strike,” reads the letter.

The nurses presented core grievances, that include Salary review, Cost of Living Adjustment, updated allowances, Transport support, Payslip transparency, Job grading corrections, Shift autonomy, Housing support and Improved locum system.

They said; ““The basic salary for nurses remains unacceptably low and not commensurate with the cost of living or the demands of the profession. Of grave concern is that this basic salary forms the basis upon which retirement packages are calculated, effectively condemning nurses to retire into poverty after years of dedicated service. Nurses also raised concerns about the absence of a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). There has been no meaningful adjustment of salaries in line with the rising cost of living… Nurses therefore demand the urgent introduction of a Cost of Living Adjustment to cushion them against prevailing economic conditions.”

ZINA said the recent hike in fuel prices had compounded their challenges forcing nurses to spend a disproportionate amount of their income on commuting, forcing some of their members to walk long distances to reach their workplaces.