The Government’s decision to absorb primary health workers into the Public Service Commission has been welcomed in Parliament, but Hwange West MP Vusumuzi Moyo has raised concerns about workers who have spent decades serving communities under the previous arrangements.
Moyo told Parliament that the workers had played an important role in Zimbabwe’s response to HIV and AIDS and had worked for years amid uncertainty over remuneration because of their dependence on Global Fund financing.
He said their incorporation into Government was a welcome development but argued that their years of service should also be recognised.
“The importance of these workers cannot be overstated. They are not merely auxiliary personnel; they are the foot soldiers of our national HIV response,” Moyo said.
He said some had served for more than two decades and were approaching the end of their service without meaningful gratuity or terminal benefits.
“It is a matter of fairness and justice that a person who has given 20 or more years of their productive life to the service of this country should not simply walk away from employment empty-handed,” Moyo said.
Moyo called on Government to consider a gratuity or transitional benefit for those who had served under the previous arrangements.
“This is not merely a question of money. It is a question of recognition, dignity and fairness in employment,” he said.
He urged the Ministry of Health, Public Service Commission and Treasury to establish a mechanism to recognise the workers’ long service as they are incorporated into the public service.