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News
Nurses threaten renewed campaign for better pay
BY COREY ROBINSON Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Tough-talking Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), yesterday threatened to renew the nurses' campaign for better wages if there is no word from the Government today.
"I don't believe the Government respects us at all, and we want them to know that we have resumed the campaign," said Allwood-Anderson.
"September cannot be the same, we can't continue like this because we don't have any money," she continued. "We need some money, the nurses, the women need money to send their children back to school."
Allwood-Anderson was speaking at an NAJ general meeting at the association's headquarters in Kingston.
She said that for far too long registered nurses have been lenient with the Government, and that the time has come for the leniency to stop.
Allwood-Anderson stopped short of saying what action the nurses would be taking, but noted that "nurses do get sick too", and that the NAJ will also be actively engaging overseas recruiters.
"As to what form the protest will take, will unfold, and we have never disappointed the minister in unfolding what we have to," said Allwood-Anderson to cheers from about 50 nurses who attended the meeting.
"Nurses are heading to their caskets and we are not afraid anymore. We are not going to be threatened," she continued.
The nurses have been fighting for, among other things, a reclassification exercise and retroactive payments.
Despite their calls on the Government to set a date to proceed with the reclassification exercise in July, they said they are yet to receive a favourable response.
 
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9/3/2010
Why should Nurses sit through a process in which the government does not feel the need to be bound by the ruling of that process. The nurses are being reminded that they are essential services and are duty bound to stay on the job, regardless. The present govt. displays an anything goes attitude, an attitude of finding fault with the rules and breaking them. Jamaica is in a state of lawlessness, an e.g. set by those who should uphold the law and morality. The nurses have every right to strike.
9/1/2010
Government has the money to do all kinds of foolishness, for example the 29 million dollars they used for the Gala celebration last August, that money could be better spent. According to Babsy Grange, Audley Shaw said "wherever the money must must come from he will find it', those where his words, check JIS for the transcript don't take my word, so now find the money and pay the nurses, enough of this foolishnes.
R Edwards NYC
betterlifeforjamaicans@yahoo.com
9/1/2010
Too many politicaly motivated unions in Jamaica. Many of the unions aren't really fighting for workers rights,they're only trying to make political statements. Too many unions discourage investors. You remember what happened to the free zones. At least the people were getting something. Now they get nothing. Not to mention Air Jamaica, and the list could keep going.
9/1/2010
A deal is a deal i think the nurses have been cooperative. It is particularly distressing since we see resources being wasted in other ways, the PM's reckless 10 month dudus frolic for example has cost the country over a billion dollars by their own estimates.........
If you make agreements dnt break them, if there is a problem with the date agreed for the annpuncement communicate this to the nurses and stop putting the nations health at risk by forcing the nurses hand
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