NURSES who were off the job for three days began returning to work yesterday, ending a sick-out which adversely affected operations at some public hospitals.

Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), agreed to end the industrial action following talks with Labour Minister Pearnel Charles. A follow-up meeting is scheduled between the parties at 10 o'clock this morning at the labour ministry's North Street offices in downtown Kingston.

"The minister welcomes this decision by the NAJ as being in the nation's best interest, given the vital role that nurses play in nation-building," the Ministry of Labour said in a press release yesterday.

For several months, public sector nurses have been involved in an ugly dispute with the Government over the failure of the administration to implement a job reclassification, which would see some nurses receiving substantial increases.

The nurses often resorted to industrial action following failed or aborted talks with Government officials over the issue.

This week's sick-out by the disgruntled nurses forced public hospitals to postpone elective surgeries and deal only with emergency cases.

At a press conference yesterday morning, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said non-critical patients were discharged from healthcare facilities as the action of the nurses put a strain on public hospitals.

"As soon as persons are willing to sit at the table, then the matters [wage dispute with nurses] can be dealt with," Spencer told a press conference at his ministry's downtown Kingston offices, hours before the nurses agreed to return to work.

"Based on the patterns of absences our ability to carry out normal activities at some facilities has been compromised," the health minister said.