
Maputo, 15 Oct (AIM) – A group of nurses from the National Nurses Association threaten to go on strike if the Mozambican Order of Nurses (OEM) decides to put into practice its threat to sanction those nurses who are not yet registered in the Order.
An Order is not the same as a trade union or an association. Unions and associations are voluntary bodies, while the Order is recognized by the Mozambican state, and membership is compulsory for anyone wishing to practice nursing.
Last August, the OEM gave 45 days to those nurses who are not registered in the Order to regularize their situation in order to avoid sanctions in accordance with the law.
According to Raúl Piloto, head of the National Nurses Association, speaking to reporters on Monday, in Maputo, if a nurse is sanctioned by the Order, the Association will go on strike, “which means that the Order would be suspending the activities of all nurses.”
“They gave us 45 days to legalize our registrations and that deadline has passed. After this period, if a nurse is sanctioned, the Association will go on strike. For example, if the Order suspends a nurse, we all consider ourselves suspended”, he said.
According to Piloto, the Order has no legitimacy to sanction nurses since the term of office of the current OEM leadership has expired.
“A strike”, he said, “would be a form of protest against the lack of transparency and injustice that permeate the current management of the Order. The current leadership has been in office since August 2017, although each term of office should last for only four years. The Order should be representing and defending nurses’ interests”, he said.
Piloto said that the Order’s position forces the nurses to take drastic measures, such as resorting to a national strike, because the Order is jeopardizing the legitimacy and rights of health professionals.
The National Nurses Association calls for elections in the Order as stipulated in its statutes, because the current leadership has lost legitimacy.
“We cannot keep the current leadership without due electoral process. The current leadership violates democratic principles and jeopardizes the legality and integrity of the Order’s governance. That is why it is essential to call new elections to restore legitimacy and confidence in the institution, promoting a healthy professional environment. It would encourage all nurses to enroll and contribute to the development of nursing in country”, he said.
(AIM)
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