Unrest builds among nurses over pay, gear

Public nurses were still restive on Wednesday, the eve of the vaccination campaign against the coronavirus in which they are expected to play a key role.

Despite ending a sickout and returning to work today, the trade unionist and Opposition parliamentarian who represents scores of nurses has threatened to escalate their demand for hazard pay and attention to other issues.

Declaring that the nurses are “ready, willing and able” to step up their protests, Senator Caswell Franklyn of the Unity Workers Union urged to Government to come to the table “as soon as possible”.

On Tuesday, UWU nurses at polyclinics called in sick to protest against a delay in the payment of hazard pay and insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), among other issues.

While Senator Franklyn said his union represents 191 nurses, It is unclear exactly how many of the island’s nine polyclinics were affected by the action.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Senator Franklyn said while his members reported for duty today it should not be seen as an act of surrender.

He said: “The nurses went back to work today. Yesterday, we only signalled our intention that if you don’t start doing something for nurses, especially now, something is going to happen.

“If the Government fails to respond to the little nudge that it got yesterday the action will be escalated and this time it will not be a one day anything.”

Some nurses claimed they were being victimized as a result of the sickout, he charged.

“Some have reported that there are people seeking to victimize them as a result of the strike, but I am warning them that is a criminal offence in Barbados,” said Senator Franklyn.

“The fine isn’t high; it’s only $1000 or six months in jail but I am prepared to report them to the police if they try to adversely affect those workers.”

Senator Franklyn would not be drawn on a deadline for Government to respond to the nurses but he said the sooner a meeting could be arranged the better.

He declared that he was more than willing to engage in discussions with the authorities.

He told Barbados TODAY: “I would like Government to respond as soon as possible. Tomorrow won’t be too late. I am prepared to sit down and put fresh proposals to the Director General so that we can get some of these matters dealt with and dealt with speedily. If they’re not we will have to take action and the nurses are willing, ready and able because they have been misled and abused for too long.”

He maintained that regardless of what action is taken he is simply following the directions of his members who proposed the industrial action.

But while he said the sickout was not his doing, he admitted that he approved their action.

Senator Franklyn said: “The deadline will come when the nurses say so. I work differently than most other trade unions in Barbados.

“I work on behalf of people so I do what they ask me to do as long as it is legitimate, so I take directions from them.

“I will tell them when they are going wrong but it is not me who decides what will happen. I did not decide that they will sickout.

“They came up with the proposal and I approved it.”
(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)