The issue of compromised gratuity payments to contracted workers of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) has sparked yet another protest, and a call to have the decades-old issue settled once and for all.
This issue of how gratuity is paid to workers of the LHC had its genesis in 1996 when the main health facility in the town was unbundled from the management of the bauxite company.
Since then workers have staged endless protests, picketing exercises and sit-ins calling on the Ministry of Health and other responsible authorities to revisit some clauses enshrined in the conditions of their gratuity benefits.
“Gratuity is in lieu of pension and whether you go on sick leave, maternity leaveor whatever that should not affect one’s pension or anything that is in lieu of pension,” workers union representative Maurice Butters, said.
Yesterday morning the workers downed tools and took their protest to the front of the LHC carrying placards which read: “We must be respected on duty at all times”; “We need uniform allowance for all labour staff”; “No maids no work we need more maids”, “This is not right for the workers. Dictatorship!”
The placards clearly indicated that yesterday’s protest had to do with issues beyond that of gratuity, all of which the workers were very vocal about.
Butters said that for too long workers have been short changed by the hospital’s administration. He presented a document which was dated May 6, 2011 in which the public service commission responded to issues raised at the LHC with regard to contracted employees.
The document states, “Gratuity is paid in lieu of pension and employees would only be paid same if satisfactory service is given.” This, the workers and their union said, the local administration has been abusing and using at its own convenience.
According to Butters, who was supported by his union colleague Winston Luke, employees who go off on maternity and sick leave lose three to six months of gratuity benefits.
“How in heavens’ name can this be right?” shouted one protestor.
Another said, “It is [for] issues like this we need human rights to step in because we are denied benefits and discriminated against in our human right to procreation.
None of us know when we [will] get sick it is a natural thing to get sick,” said the female worker who was applauded by the others after making the statement.
The document says that absence for over a month would adversely affect an employee’s gratuity. Gratuity is calculated only on basis of salary; employees on sick leave for more than one month are not entitled to the payment of station and meal allowance, among other issues.
The protest was sparked after three nurses and other workers submitted their pay slips to their union representative. The pay slips show that their gratuity and allowance were cut by as much as six months. Among them was a maid, who was shot during the recent five-week protest in Linden. The woman was at the time assisting patients and children across the bridge en-route to the hospital on July 18 when she was shot in both thighs and had to be hospitalized and subsequently was off the job for 28 days. “I lost six months of my gratuity for that and more than that they cut up my allowance,” the woman said.
According to Butters, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Farouk Riyasat had spoken and written to the Accounts Department instructing that she should get her benefits, but his order was blatantly disregarded. The CEO was on vacation up to yesterday afternoon and no one from the Accounts Department was available for comment.
The shortage of maids at the LHC was another matter of serious contention during yesterday’s protest. They complained that at present the shortage is to the extent that in some cases there is one maid to a ward. “… And some wards don’t have no maid assigned. We most times got to stretch ourselves thin for the patients’ sake and this is wha dey calling state of the art. This is rubbish,” said an irate protestor. The workers also complained that the maids’ room is in a sorry state; marred by faulty sinks and pipes. Concern about the absence of a long awaited lunch room facility for nurses was also an issue.
Meanwhile, nurses from the Upper Demerara Hospital (UDH) also joined the protest, complaining that participating. There were also claims that the maids and other essential staff are not furnished with safety gear including face masks, gloves and other protective outfits. “They claiming how they does give us uniform allowance but that don’t cover those essential things. I tell ya this state of the art talk is such a shame… a big white elephant for a hospital!” one nurse exclaimed.
“Like now so when you go to certain parts of that place [UDH] is suh you have to be stamping yuh feet and boxing yuh hands… mosquitoes tek over up there,” said a registered nurse/midwife who is usually stationed at the UDH. Maids, porters and a hospital attendant also told the same story.
Administrative Manager of LHC who is currently acting in the capacity as CEO, Trevor Vangendren, said the union representatives have agreed that the matter has to be dealt with at the level of the Georgetown general management.
But Butters refuted this saying, “He knows very well that it all has to start right here with them. There was no agreement. Agreement? I know nothing about that.”
Vangendren was referring to the issue of gratuity. Speaking to this newspaper only briefly as he was rushing off to a 10 am meeting, the senior manager said the other issues were being addressed but he was not aware of the mosquito infestation and insanitary conditions at the UDH.
During the early stages of the protest yesterday morning Chairman of the LCH board Roubinder Rambarran and board member Sherry James attempted to engage the protestors but were ignored.
The union representatives were invited to a meeting with the board to discuss the matter. The outcome of that meeting was unknown up to press time.
