The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is accusing the Ministry of Health of attempting to bully the nurses at the Linden Hospital Complex through unlawful deductions from their salaries.
“The Ministry has embarked on a massive victimization campaign comprising actions which are in conflict with the laws of Guyana,” the union declared in a press statement.
According to the GPSU, the nurses have been subjected to trumped-up allegations of being absent from duty as far back as 2018 and suffered deductions which exceed the legal limit.
“It was reported to the Union that this illegal action resulted in some staff receiving a take-home salary as low as $3000… Several nurses are now in a state of depression, causing the Union to explore the need for counselling. Nevertheless, nurses continue to execute their duties professionally,” the GPSU said.
The union took pains to point out that the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act stipulates a six-month statute of limitation on initiating investigations with a view to disciplinary action and that fines are forbidden under the Guyana Public Service Rules (1987 edition).
These attempts to “bully women into subjugation” are, the union noted, compounded by the refusal of government to pay health care workers their outstanding Risk Allowance.
Stabroek News was unable to make contact with Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Malcolm Watkins for a response to the union’s claims.
Despite these issues, the nurses remain resolute in their protest against Chief Executive Officer Rudolph Small who publicly declared that Linden Hospital Complex nurses regularly abandoned their duties to engage in extramarital affairs.
“The situation remains unresolved and is still very much fluid. The GPSU remains hopeful that good sense will prevail, and the Ministry of Health will change course, and deal with this impasse in an appropriate manner,” the union added.
