The original article can be found in: Antigua Observer By Martina Johnson
ST JOHN’S, Antigua- The intervention of Finance Minister Harold Lovell yesterday averted prolonged strike action by disgruntled junior workers at Mount St John’s Medical Centre (MSJMC) who have been fighting for risk allowance since 2003.
About 50 workers walked off the job early yesterday, but after meeting with the minister around 2:15 pm, they returned to complete their shift that ended at 7 pm.
Minister Lovell told OBSERVER media he expects an amicable resolution to the issue in days ahead.
A meeting is scheduled for August 12 with Lovell, the affected workers and other stakeholders, he confirmed.
Joan Peters, the representative for the Antigua & Barbuda Public Service Association who works at the hospital, said workers are pleased with the development and are looking forward to the discussions.
Although the main reason for the action was non payment of risk allowance, workers are also concerned that uniform allowance has been withheld and the hospital’s alleged failure to pay deductions for Education Levy and Social Security.
Junior workers include nursing assistants, laboratory workers, orderlies, emergency room technicians, staff in the X-ray department, operating theatre and the sterilising unit
In May when the workers took action, for the same aforementioned reasons, they were told management would seek to address the issues by the end of that month. That did not happen.
Currently, only registered nurses receive risk allowance.
Efforts to reach the hospital’s administrative director Gary Thomas and communications officer Salma Crump proved futile.
