MPATT waits for recognition

A source at the Labour Ministry said discussions had not broken down and the matter was still engaging the ministry’s attention.

“A course of action has been worked out and the matter remains with the RRCB which has the final decision,” said the source.

In an interview yesterday, MPATT president Dr Chunilal Ramjit said the last update the doctors had was a few weeks ago when Labour Minister Danny Montano said he was liaising with the RRCB chairman and other members of the board.

Ramjit said, “They said they are working on it and we are trying our best to give them the necessary time but eventually there will come a time when we will have to make a decision.”

On March 24, RHA doctors threatened to stop overtime work unless the RRCB reviewed its decision on the bargaining units in the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA). The RRCB decided the bargaining units for the ERHA last July.

Doctors were classified with several other staff members and MPATT would have had to negotiate for all of them. MPATT has also met with President George Maxwell Richards at the end of March on the recognition matter.

Commenting on the new contract (2006-2008) negotiations for junior doctors, Ramjit said there has been no progress. Doctors have been working with letters of continuation (of the terms and conditions of the 2003-2005) since their contracts expired in December.

Ramjit said Health Minister John Rahael had promised that the negotiations would be concluded last December.

Last August MPATT submitted proposals and they have gone to the chief personnel officer for consideration.

“To date there is no official counter proposal from them,” Ramjit said. Reynold Cooper, head of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNT), which has been meeting with MPATT on new terms for doctors, has been on vacation leave.