Cabinet to mull over nurses’ pay package
GOVERNMENT has promised disgruntled nurses that a proposal will be made to Cabinet when they meet on Monday regarding the payment of outstanding allowances.
A team from the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) met with Minister of Health Rudyard Spence, Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles and his deputy Andrew Gallimore at the Ministry of Labour in downtown Kinsgton today.
The ministers assured NAJ President Edith Allwood-Anderson that the proposal and a date for the implementation of the reclassification exercise would be submitted to Parliament.
The island’s health sector was under severe strain between Wednesday and Friday as nurses stayed off the job in protest against the slow pace of negotiations. This forced hospitals to discharge non-critical patients and conduct emergency surgeries only.
But after a meeting with Charles yesterday the nurses returned to work and averted an impending crisis.
The nurses and government representatives are expected to continue their negotiations on Wednesday.