Local pharmacists meet with PSA over Filipinos

PSA first vice-president, Stephen Thomas, met for several hours with the pharmacists yesterday.

He told Newsday there was "absolutely no truth" in the report of the pharmacists resigning and described it as "misleading and mischievous." He said the pharmacists were annoyed to hear that the Health Ministry was proposing to pay foreigners, "significantly higher than what they are being paid."

They demanded a meeting with PSA President Jennifer Baptiste-Primus and it was arranged for yesterday.

Newsday has learnt that the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) has agreed to a fixed basic salary of $5,600 for the Filipinos for three years. This salary is in line with the proposal before the PSA for the reclassification of local pharmacists to range 46 (salary ranges from a minimum of $5,554 to a maximum of $7,174). As contract workers, the Filipino pharmacists are not entitled to COLA. Government is also spending $14,000 for the airfare for each pharmacist. Filipinos who have to travel to work will be entitled to $500 travelling allowance and those who cannot be accommodated by the Government will get a housing allowance of $2,000, which is subject to tax. To accommodate extended hours at health centres, the ministry has also proposed $375 monthly on call overtime for a maximum of 56 hours. A recommendation has also been made to the CPO for a "foreign duty allowance" of 25 percent ($1,400) of their basic salary. This would only be applicable based on increases received by locals after reclassification.

A report carried in another daily newspaper on Sunday also claimed that local pharmacists were threatening to resign from the union if the PSA did not properly represent them. The pharmacists have been clamouring to be reclassified since 1974.

Thomas said the PSA has proposed that the pharmacists be reclassified at range 53 (from their current range 38). He explained that this would put them on par with the salary currently earned by pharmacists entering the Regional Health Authorities. He said the CPO was advised to return to her "principals for a revised proposal."

A Health Ministry official told Newsday that the salary package for the Filipinos will not be "superior or inferior" to locals, since the aim is for equity. He quipped, "If it established an inferior package, it will be said the ministry is bringing scab labour." The official said the CPO’s proposal of range 46 was based on a wider policy of people entering the Public Service with degrees to be classified at this level, while range 53 was a promotional post.

The Filipinos are not entitled to rural incentive (15 percent of basic salary), travelling allowance (approximately $1,300-$1,800), gratuity — 20 percent of their gross salary at the end of employment or extended sick leave. Twenty-four Filipino pharmacists are currently in orientation for service.