…PS urges GPSU to call off strike

THE Ministry of Health has said that the nurses attached to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) are engaged in an illegal strike and is calling on the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) to return to the table with the authorities to resolve the ongoing issue pertaining to the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rudy Small.

Small, who made a comment about nurses clocking in at work and leaving to “meet their sweet man,” was temporarily removed from his position as CEO on Tuesday last, but was subsequently reinstated. On Wednesday last, Small distributed a letter of apology to the nurses in which he sought to take responsibility for his comment, which has now been deemed reckless and dangerous.

Since then, the nurses of the hospital have taken up protest and strike action, leaving a skeleton staff to care for the patients. But the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Health, Malcolm Watkins, said the strike action by the nurses is “premature” and “illegal,” especially since the ministry was engaging the nurses and the GPSU.

“The Health Ministry is concerned that, in spite of agreeing to engage the nursing staff and the union through the Ministry of Labour, the nurses continued to restrict the full complement of staff at the Linden Hospital Complex. We consider the strike action by nurses at the LHC illegal and that the resort to strike action before engaging the MoH is premature,” Watkins noted in his statement Saturday.

According to Watkins, the ministry treated the concerns of the nurses seriously from the inception.
“The statements made by the CEO, Mr. Rudy Small, is unacceptable and the ministry immediately demanded a retraction. Prior to the matter coming to our attention, Mr. Small had issued an apology. Mr. Small, nevertheless, was immediately instructed to report to the permanent secretary’s office, where he was rebuked and warned that any further such uncalled-for behaviour will not be accepted without consequence,” Watkins noted.

He added, “Mr. Small issued a further apology both to the staff of the LHC and to the Health Ministry. He recommitted his pledge to service and to the ideals and mission of the MoH and the LHC.”

The permanent secretary noted that the ministry agreed at the meeting with the chief labour officer to engage the nurses and the GPSU on a way forward, but not until the strike is called off.

“The permanent secretary informed the union in a discussion with their representative on March 5, 2021, that the ministry remains open and ready to discuss the concerns of the nurses at the LHC. We will, however, not negotiate under duress. We remain in contact with the union and with the Ministry of Labour and we are ready at any time to resume the discussions we started on March 4th at the Ministry of Labour.”