This week, in the light of the action taken by staff at the Linden Hospital Complex to press demands for their twice-yearly gratuity to be paid this month, we asked people at Linden for their views on the situation. Their responses follow:
Dennis Muhammad – ‘I think it is a straight issue of misrepresentation in terms of the issue and the issue should have been dealt with properly by the authorities. First if all the workers should have been contracted and they should have known at least a year or two in advance that they made some changes in terms of the month when they would be paid. I believe firmly that a month is not a very long time but for some people it can be a very long time. What I think the authorities should do at this time is flex for this one time and pay the workers in the month of February. For the long term what I think we should do here in Linden is to make sure whatever administration is running the country should also be running the town of Linden entirely.’
Shallon Hollingside – ‘The medical and non medical workers are very important people in the society and their issues should be dealt with as a matter of emergency. If they have to reach the extreme of striking for many days, it does not augur well because they would not perform as they should. They are dealing with the issue of saving lives that speaks volumes.’
Lennox Gasper – ‘By way of information understanding that the gratuity situation is one of which there is no consultation whereby a decision was made to cease the gratuity which is normally paid in February now moved to March and more so when persons proceed on maternity leave or any sick leave or so their gratuity is being cut. I think that kind of system of governance within the hospital sector is a kind of authoritative position to take. Knowing that these persons are not going to be entitled to a pension after they would have finished their tenure, I think it would only be fair to run a democratic system.’
Rawle Craig – ‘I think that at best consultation should be the key in any decision like this because it’s a major decision affecting people’s money and expectations. People would budget because they expect to get money at a given period and so the disappointment would come when they are not informed, beforehand. This is what could cause the situation to be what it is right now and people who are sick need their attention, their medical services is going to be affected. The management should take all these things into consideration because they know people would react in a certain way.’
Pamela John – ‘I think that they should really give the people their gratuity money. They work hard for it they should get it. Why is it they said that they got a certain time when they are going to give them the money and now when the time meet they don’t want to give them. I think they should come forward and give the people their money. Not calculating for approved sick leave and maternity leave is utter nonsense. They have no pension to get and then you not paying on sick leave! That can never be fair.’
June Cummings – ‘I feel the people deserve their money seeing that they worked so hard so many years. We the Lindeners are depending on the nurses, doctors and whosever working at the hospital. So I feel that people should get what they work for and at the right time because right now things really hard and this month especially is a hard month. They looking out for this small piece and they should get their money.’
Dawn Halley – ‘I think the workers should pray more about the situation I am not saying that they should not protest because faith without works is dead. But with prayers things will work out in the right way. I strongly think they should get paid in February and they should also get gratuity for sick leave, maternity leave or any approved leave. I am praying that things work out in their favour.’
Carlton Alsopp – ‘I am in solidarity with the hospital staff because the working people in this country suppose to be treated better than they are right now. I am also in solidarity with the union with these kinds of things. They building big hospital costing billions of dollars and people are being treated inhumane. It makes no sense you building a big place and people in it hungry and punishing; they can’t do their work properly because they are not mentally and physically equipped because of emotions.’
Clinton Charles – ‘I really think that it is unfair for the people because that’s their benefits and the administration is cutting out from it by not paying them gratuity for maternity and other periods of leave. When this happens they would not give you the quality of work that they should be producing because they are not pleased with the existing payment arrangements. They wouldn’t have that peace of mind. So this is a very disappointing situation at the Linden Hospital with the people who should be concerned mainly about saving lives and educating us about health
issues.’
