*UNPAID HEALTH WORKERS HAPPY WITH GOVERNMENT’S ASSURANCE REGARDING SALARY ARREARS*
Health workers who are pursuing their salary arrears are happy that government has responded with an assurance that thier issue will be addressed.
Last week, in an open letter to the Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema, the workers pleaded with the head of state to intervene in a matter so that their arrears dating back to September 2019 can be cleared.
Yesterday, Ministry of Health Permanent secretary, assured in a story carried by ZNBC that government will ensure that the matter is resolved.
In the year 2019, between April and May, government recruited and employed 3000 health workers comprising doctors and nurses.
Following the recruitment, the new staff did not receive their salaries until September 2019, thereby being owed various amounts up to September 2019.
In 2021, the government then liquidated all the arrears owed to doctors and a few nurses, leaving other health workers unpaid, despite having relentlessly pursued the matter which the Ministry Of Health Headquarters.
In an interview, some of the aggrieved workers who opted to remain anonymous, have since expressed happiness that their issue has not fallen on deaf ears.
They are hopeful that the new dawn administration will fufil the promise on the matter so that the health workers can not only be motivated, but also contribute to national development.
They have reiterated their call and plea to President Hakainde Hichilema to help them push the matter until their issue is amicably resolved.