THE management of the Mackenzie Hospital which is a part of the Linden Hospital Complex is calling upon the relevant authorities to review a system that affects only the nurses attached to this institution.All the nurses of the Mackenzie Hospital are employed under the contract system, which allows employees to receive gratuity benefits on a six-month basis. The issue stemmed however, when nurses who go on maternity leave are deprived of this benefit which is paid in lieu of pension.

The management of the Linden Hospital, in collaboration with the Public Service Union, through the industrial relations officer of Region 10, has vigorously attempted to have the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Labour to overturn this arbitrary and discriminatory system, yet has not been given any positive response as regards this issue.

The industrial relations officer of the Public Service Union for Linden continues to voice his concern to the authorities as he describes his mandate to represent the public servants of Linden as priority.
He has revealed that the then Minister of Health Ms Gail Teixeira had urged the employees to accept a one-year contract in the interim, pending establishment of a corporate body to manage the affairs of the hospital.
To date, this body has not materialised and the employees are still under the contract system. The employees accepted this arrangement as it promised not to affect their service, thus keeping their benefits intact. Sadly, however, since 1996 the employees are still under the contract system. According to Mr Morris Butters, who is also a member of the management committee, the document that was submitted to corporatise the hospital was used to corporatise the Georgetown hospital.
In 2010, after the workers commenced industrial action for permanent employment and for adhering to their contract, rather than to provide a positive response to this uproar of injustice, they were slapped by the previous administration with the refusal of gratuity payment when they proceed on maternity leave. Prior to this, their payments were up to date.
To defend this claim, the ministry changed the terms of the contract which previously stated that gratuity would be paid on the basis of satisfactory service. Presently, the terms state that the payment of gratuity should be based on residence service and should be performance-oriented. Therefore, it is reasoned by the Ministry of Public Health that if the individual is not on the job, their performance cannot be appraised, thus disqualifying them from gratuity payment.
According to the Industrial Relations Officer Mr Morris Butters, the gratuity is paid on a six-month basis, but is calculated every three months. He reasoned that the individual can be assessed based on the three months that they have worked, since the maternity leave will encompass the other three months. “We have been calling on the authorities to have this matter sorted out and all we are getting are promises,” he lamented. “It is discrimination against the employees and I will be bringing it up to the Commission of Inquiry since these nurses are [being] unjustly treated,” added Butters.
The Administrative Manager of the Mackenzie Hospital and acting CEO Mr Trevor Vanganderan, shares similar sentiments as he is often the ears to hear the cry of the nurses. He is complaining about the slothful attitude of the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Public Health that are back and forth on the issue.
What is most appalling is the fact that there is no written agreement on this issue, but just a conversation among the authorities. Former Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Hamilton, rejected the terms. However, he did not do anything in his power to change the situation, attested Butters. The nurses of the Mackenzie Hospital are seeking the intervention of the government and the Ministry of Public Health to remove this system which is deemed discriminatory and unfair, as they are the only nurses affected by the revised terms of the contractual agreement. (Vanessa Braithwaite)