KINGSTON, Jamaica – Public health nurses started a sick-out this morning, in protest against the government’s delay in paying them retroactive money from a reclassification exercise, which has been outstanding since 2013.

Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) President, Janet Farr, has confirmed the industrial action, which is affecting a number of public hospitals including the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and the Bellevue Hospital, both in the Corporate Area.

According to Farr, although the NAJ was informed earlier this year that funds were allocated in the 2015/16 budget to make the payments, the government is now saying that the payments cannot be made prior to February, 2016.

Farr says that the nurses are not pleased with the response and are opposed to any further delays in payment.

She says that the NAJ is seeking a meeting with the Minister of Finance and Planning or the Prime Minister to discuss the issue.

After years of battling the government for payment under the reclassification exercise for the sector, the nurses started receiving payments in installments in 2013. The payment should have been completed in three tranches.

The implementation of the health sector reclassification is costing the government $7 billion over a three year period.

Balford Henry