The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) has raised serious concerns over unresolved grievances at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), particularly regarding delayed hazard allowance payments.
Speaking Barbados TODAY, Richard Greene, General Secretary of the NUPW, confirmed that numerous employees in the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) had called in sick, leading to a temporary reduction in staff coverage and raising questions about underlying issues impacting hospital operations.
“This morning, I received a report that a significant number of workers in the accident and emergency department of the QEH had called in sick,” he stated.
According to him, an investigation quickly revealed that a number of nurses, emergency room technicians, and orderlies were absent, possibly due to long-standing grievances regarding unpaid hazard allowances. He noted, “Further investigations determined that the possible cause of the extraordinary number of persons calling in was the outstanding payment of hazard allowances.”
The delay in hazard allowance payments, which have reportedly gone unpaid for up to six months for some staff members, has fuelled frustration among hospital employees.
Greene emphasised that the NUPW had initiated contact with the hospital’s Human Resources and Accounts departments to obtain confirmation on the outstanding payments and determine when they might be disbursed. However, to date, the union had not received a concrete response regarding the timeline for these payments.
“Previously, the NUPW had been informed that hazard allowance had been outstanding for as much as six months to some officers in the hospital,” Greene explained, underscoring the need for a prompt resolution. He added, “I would have contacted the HR department and the accounts department to get a confirmation on exactly what was outstanding and if and when the money would have been paid.”
In response to the current situation, the NUPW says it will be organising meetings with its stewards to comprehensively address not only the hazard allowance issue but also other grievances that may be causing unease among hospital staff.
Greene stated: “Moving forward, we will meet with our stewards to look at all of the possible grievances within the hospital that might be causing some discomfort amongst the workers.”
He further emphasised the importance of engaging hospital management directly, stating that the union would work “to resolve all the standing grievances to avoid any further actions that would compromise the patient care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.”
The general secretary highlighted the union’s commitment to maintaining smooth operations at the QEH while ensuring that workers’ rights are upheld and their grievances are addressed promptly.
“It is vitally important that the industrial relations matters are resolved in a timely and reasonable manner so that we can limit the possibilities of industrial action,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the hospital has responded to today’s staff “sick-out,” noting it came following an unauthorised message encouraging a temporary shutdown of shifts. Shane Sealy, the QEH’s Communications Specialist, clarified, “The safety and well-being of our patients remain the QEH’s top priority, and our teams are working hard to maintain uninterrupted service.”
In a statement released to the media, he emphasised that hospital management had not received any formal grievances regarding this matter prior to the recent staff absences and stressed that patient care must remain uncompromised.
Addressing the issue of hazard payments, Sealy stated, “We understand that this action may be related to confusion surrounding COVID Hazard Payments. The payments are made in line with the Hazard Pay policy, which has not changed; however, there have been delays due to incorrect submissions.”
The QEH assured the public of a thorough investigation and a commitment to resolve any outstanding payment issues swiftly.
