Angry workers corner Rahael

There was no escape for Health Minister John Rahael yesterday, when he was cornered by irate health workers demanding a resolution to outstanding arrears and letters of permanent employment. The workers also wanted to know the status of their pensions. The minister, who attended a media briefing in the lobby of the Endoscopy Department, managed to bypass workers when he avoided using the main entrance to the complex. However, the crowd of noisy workers from the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, St Ann’s Hospital, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) and Arima Hospital found him, and he decided to speak with them.

Oral Saunders, chairman of the Public Services Association staff section at the St Ann’s Hospital, told the minister that workers were frustrated and extremely upset with the treatment they received from the RHAs. Although the North West RHA has kept its promise to release money for outstanding arrears of allowances by yesterday, Saunders said the workers did not know what allowances were being paid, because they did not get a statement. “This is something that has been happening for years, since UNC time. Every time workers got money they do not know what the money represents because of the track record of the RHAs. The workers are not taking that today,” Saunders said.  The NWRHA has advised workers that the nursing incentive allowance will be paid from March 2003, but the PSA said workers are owed for three years.

Saunders said some workers with as much as seven years continuous service have not received letters of permanent appointment, while new employees were getting letters right away. He used the opportunity to advise the minister that attempts to transfer public servants across to the RHAs will be met with strong resistance by the PSA. Yvonne de Peiza of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) said there is still no management structure in place at the North Central RHA. Rahael agreed that a proper management system was not in place at Mt Hope and said the NCRHA has been advertising for staff.

He told workers they had nothing to fear regarding job security because, at the end of April, the new structure will be established. Rahael spoke of plans to enhance the service at EWMSC, and said the aim was for the complex to be the envy of tertiary institutions. “By what year? 2020?” asked a worker. Rahael empathised with the workers, saying they should be paid for work done. Referring to the allowances, he assured that funding will be provided by Government for “what you are entitled to.” He invited a small delegation of workers to meet early next week to deal with the arrears, but Saunders said only PSA President Jennifer Baptiste-Primus could agree to a meeting. Rahael said he was always willing to meet with her.