A compromise to achieve a possible win/win situation was reached by the Ministry of Health and the Public Services Association (PSA) yesterday, after an hour-long protest outside the Health Ministry's Port-of-Spain offices by disgruntled healthcare workers.
As a result of the compromise, PSA president Watson Duke was asked by the Minister of Health, Dr Fuad Khan, to drop all legal proceedings against him as he has agreed to form an Oversight Committee to address all health and safety issues at all Regional Health Authorities (RHA) throughout T&T.
The committee will consist of a nine-member team–five members from the Health Ministry and four from the PSA.
From as early as 9 am yesterday, RHA workers assembled outside the Health Ministry's offices in Port-of-Spain and staged a placard protest. After one hour of protest action, Duke presented Khan with a document that contained some of the important issues to be addressed.
Among them, the establishment of the committee, to which Khan immediately agreed, providing that Duke drop all legal proceedings. Duke obliged with no objection.
It was also agreed by Khan that all letters handed out to workers with respect to disciplinary action and threat of dismissals would be recalled.
Duke said the Oversight Committee would also be responsible for developing a priority list of critical issues to be addressed. "The committee will also evaluate and supervise the process and make sure they are done according to standards," Duke said.
Duke also asked Khan to have work shifts reduced from 12 hours to eight hours.
However, Khan said, he would respond to this request on Friday, after meeting with human resources and his legal team on the matter.
With respect to overtime payments, Khan also promised to give feedback on Friday.
Another issue raised was the $2,000 housing allowance given to foreign nurses brought to T&T. Duke said local nurses should also be beneficiaries of this type of allowance. Khan admitted that he had been advocating for local nurses to be given the allowance as well and, if not the entire sum, at least a part of it. Khan said a note was taken to Cabinet on the issue and it was also raised with Finance Minister Larry Howai.
Khan promised to let Duke know Howai's response by Friday, when he would update Duke on the progress made on the issues.
Duke said he expected a win/win situation, "The PSA never engaged to destroy the country or to pull down the Government. We [want] only to highlight our plight and get the ears of those in Government."