Nurses plan more protests
Stabroek News
February 6, 2004
Nurses at the Georgetown Public Hospital are threatening to protest two days a week until demands for increased allowances are met.
In the meantime, along with doctors, they were back at work yesterday after various sit-ins and sick-outs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sources at both the hospital and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) confirmed that there had been a full resumption by nurses following their two-day protest.
They want an increased meal allowance of $20,000 per month and a risk allowance of $4,000.
The doctors want improvements to their quarters.
The nurses have vowed to continue protest action for two days each week while informing the hospital administration of their intention to pursue further industrial action if their concerns are not quickly addressed.
But a hospital official has dismissed suggestions that the hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Michael Khan promised to secure an increase in the nurses' meal allowance from $4,000 to $15,000 following a meeting last year.
According to the source the most he could have done was to promise to examine the matter.
Meanwhile, an official at the union confirmed that they have been meeting with the hospital's administration on a recognition agreement to govern disciplinary procedures.
According to the official, a meeting planned for last Friday was cancelled by the hospital authorities after they requested more time to respond.