PSA: NCRHA staff under threat

However, Charles Mitchell, the CEO, has denied this saying the NCRHA staff worked in an essential service and was prohibited from taking industrial action. In an interview he said, “We have brought that to the attention of employees and told them in the event they continue to do that, we will take the necessary action.”

The PSA yesterday released a letter sent to Mitchell which was dated June 5. It referred to commitments made by the CEO to deal with the payment of correct overtime-rates to telephone operators for 2005, and the convening of monthly non-crisis meetings to keep the union appraised of progress in addressing matters.

“There can be no justification for your failure to honour these two extremely simple commitments,” PSA first vice-president Stephen Thomas said in the letter. He said “fortitude” was required from Mitchell to stem the haemorrhage of public funds by introducing inventory controls. Thomas said this situation remains unaddressed and as a consequence, millions of dollars of medical supplies and food stuff have not been properly accounted for at EWMSC.

He said with a myriad of issues still to be addressed, the CEO has threatened the employment status of employees who dared to call for accountability, responsible management, fair and transparent employment practices and organisational integrity.

On Wednesday (the day which the letter is dated), Mitchell said he had a meeting with Thomas to discuss the dismissal of the two PSA representatives, increments owed to workers and letters of permanent employment. Another meeting is scheduled for July 21. Mitchell said 17 employees will receive letters and the NCRHA was working on the others.

He said it was a “mammoth exercise” dealing with the letters and increments because the process was being done manually. A team was appointed to deal with the workers who qualified for increments, and another to go through their leave records.

Mitchell said the sum for each worker has to be quantified, then sent to be audited, after which the information is sent for board approval then to the Health Ministry for the funding.

He said the NCRHA has not changed its position regarding the dismissal of the EWMSC workers who were PSA representatives. Commenting on inventory controls he said ongoing audits took place at stores. Mitchell disclosed that the NCRHA plans to engage security consultants to enhance the security arrangements at the complex.