Doctors in the dark over increased salaries

MPATT’s president Dr Lakhan Roop described as "untrue" reports that the CPO had raised specialist medical officers’ basic salary from $10,400 to $15,000 per month. Roop said doctors had not been informed, neither by the CPO nor the RHA’s Joint Negotiating Team (JNT), concerning doctors’ proposals for a new collective agreement. "As far as we are concerned, the negotiations have not been settled. It is still before the CPO and there has been no major changes. As for the issues, they are still before the CPO," Roop told Newsday.

Doctors were in an upbeat mood yesterday, both at the San Fernando and Port-of-Spain General Hospitals after publication in a daily newspaper that the CPO had offered fairly large increases. But Roop added: "We’re awaiting word from the CPO and the Public Sector Negotiating Team before we can say a settlement has been reached."

MPATT’s secretary, Dr Rajendra Persad, also said he was totally in the dark about any new increases. Persad, however, said that negotiations with the JNT were at a critical stage.

Newsday spoke to Reynold Cooper, the chairman of the Joint Negotiating Team, who said the package for the doctors was sent to the CPO last Friday.

This followed agreement "in principle" by the doctors’ representatives and JNT on the major issues.

Cooper said the basic salary earned by specialist medical officers in the RHAs is currently $10,400. Providing a breakdown of the increases for 2003-2005 he said for 2003 the salary will be increased to $11,000, 2004—$12,500, and 2005—$15,500.

Registrars currently earn $9,500. For 2003 they will earn $10,000, 2004—$11,500 and 2005—$13,500.

Doctors will receive 20 hours of guaranteed overtime. They will be paid extra for additional hours. The ministry and doctors also reached "in principle" for more consultants and registrars to be hired to reduce the one in one call (on-call 24 hours every day of the month) which some senior doctors work.