SVG nurses calling for back pay

Nurses in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are calling on Government to pay them allowances which they say have been outstanding since October 2005.

In a release issued by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nurses Association earlier this week, the nurses stated that they are unhappy with the manner in which the “longstanding issue of increase in night duty allowances for nursing personnel is being dealt with by the relevant authorities”.{{more}}

According to the release, nurses and nursing assistants were promised an increase in allowances including night duty allowance in October 2005. The night duty allowance of $75 currently paid to Staff Nurses was to be increased to $100, while Nursing Assistants were to get $75, up from $50. Ward Sisters were to receive $150, up from $75.

The nurses stated that while there have been increases in allowances in other areas, this has not been the case for the night duty allowance, and the Nurses Association is calling on the Public Service Union to represent the best interest of the nation’s nurses, for “the tolerance levels of the nurses are running out”.

An executive member of the Nurses Association told Searchlight that the decision to take the issue to the media was made as they feel that they have exhausted all avenues. The executive member said that since February 2007 the SVG Nurses Association executive committee has been holding discussions with Public Service Union, the Ministry of Finance and Planning and officials from The Ministry of Health. This they say, has been in an attempt to have the issue settled in an amicable manner. According to the release, up to as recently as two weeks ago, no clear reason was given to the nurses by the relevant authorities as to why there has been a delay in payment.

A senior official from the Ministry of Health told Searchlight that she wasn’t aware that there was an issue, and as far as she knew, the matter was being dealt with by the Ministry of Finance.

The nurses say they are unsure as to what the hold up is and they feel as though their issues are being shuffled from one ministry to another, and being held up with malice. They say that the matter is becoming overbearing, and are calling on their union to work in their interest. (VM)