Nurses demand 100% increase in salaries

[Rockman]

So the Govt. will likely renege on a campaign promise, one that likely secured the votes of the sect it was made to, and again Shaw is smack in the middle...
Well I expect the negotiations as it pertains to the nurses to at least be outside the realms of the MOU.




Blessed

[Lazie]

Gov’t says no deal to nurses’ salary demands

Public sector nurses have been cut off at the pass as they prepare to submit claims to the Government for a 100% increase in salaries.
The Ministry of Finance has signalled that it cannot entertain the nurses' demand for a doubling of salaries.

The Ministry says it will be taking the same approach when it begins wage negotiations with the Jamaica Teachers Association and the Police Federation.
Responding to reports that the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) will be submitting claims this week for a 100% increase, Minister without Portfolio in the Finance Ministry Senator Dwight Nelson said the request will not be considered.

Senator Nelson told RJR News that due to budget constraints, the Government is in no position to accommodate requests for exorbitant increases.
"There are three bases that I use in negotiating wages and terms of employment in the public sector and the most important is the government's ability to pay," said Senator Nelson.

"It is these three bases I have applied to the JCTU and the MOU agreement and will be applied to all other groups. The bottom line is the government's ability to pay,"
Mr. Nelson's comment is not likely to go down well with the NAJ which has declared that it will be accepting nothing less than the 100% promised by the Government while it was in Opposition.

Late last year the Association said it had a video recording of Finance Minister Audley Shaw promising to double nurses salaries.
In the meantime, Senator Nelson is urging public sector groups which did not sign MOU Three to desist from issuing threats to the Government as part of their lobby for improved salaries.
He said the administration is still willing to meet with the groups to reach a compromise.

"And trying to negotiate in the media...Let us sit around the bargaining table and make meaningful approaches towards settlement because if we apply some level of creativity and innovativeness I am sure we can come out with a settlement. It might not satisfy everybody but certain will be one we can resign ourselves to until we can provide better," he continued.

[Lazie]

The country's nurses will this week make a formal demand on the Government for a 100% increase in salaries.
The Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) said a request for the doubling of salaries will be included in wage claims to be submitted before Friday.
NAJ President, Edith Allwood-Anderson said the Association will be insisting that the Government fulfill its election promise to grant nurses a substantial increase.

Mrs. Allwood-Anderson said so far, the administration has failed to deliver on other promises made to public sector nurses.
She warned that the Association is prepared to do battle with Government on the issue of salaries.
"We are not letting go of the promise Minister [Audley] Shaw made to us, it was genuine and we are going to hold him to it," said Mrs. Allwood-Anderson.
The Association was among a handful of public sector groups which did not sign the third Memorandum of Understanding with the Government two weeks ago.

The NAJ, the Police Federation as well as the Jamaica Teachers Association have decided to negotiate separate contracts with the Ministry of Finance.