NAJ in militant mood over non-payment of special allowance
JAMAICAN nurses’ are today marking International Nurses’ Day in a militant mood, as they battle with the government over the payment of an outstanding special allowance.
The allowance was negotiated last August as part of the nurses’ 2006/8 wage and fringe benefits agreement.
The Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), following the expiration of an ultimatum yesterday, said it received a fax from the Ministry of Finance, which reiterated the terms under which outstanding items should be paid.
However, the NAJ said that following further dialogue with a senior official in the ministry, there was still some reluctance on the part of the ministry to implement some aspects of a negotiated wage agreement.
“Consequently, the NAJ will be convening an emergency meeting at its secretariat on Monday, May 14 at 10:00 am to determine the next course of action,” NAJ president Edith Allwood-Anderson said in a late afternoon statement.
