To date over 200 nurses from across various health care institutions have been appointed.
That word has come from president of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Akanni McDowall, who says another batch will soon receive their letters of appointment.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados’ Midterm Delegates’ Conference this morning, McDowall told Barbados TODAY while he could not give a definitive number on the latest number of nurses to be appointed he was satisfied that progress was being made to address the issue of appointments.
He revealed those included nurses from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital, Geriatric Hospital and the polyclinics.
However, McDowall said appointments for nurses working at District Hospitals were “outstanding”.
“The union has been informed that the majority of the nurses have been appointed and they should soon receive their letters. Of course you know this issue of appointments is a longstanding one and the union has been fighting it not only on behalf of nurses but the entire public service.
“We believe that appointments are necessary not only to improve the personal circumstances of the members within the union, but it also assists with their ability to support their families and by extension their communities,” McDowall said.
The NUPW president pledged the union’s continued efforts in lobbying for public servants throughout Government to be appointed.
He said while it was the turn of nurses now, the NUPW was fighting for all.
“The union is going to continue to ensure that at the end of it all, all public servants are appointed. We will continue to lobby Government on behalf of the members to ensure that all public servants are appointed, therefore, the union will continue the fight in relation to the matter of appointments,” McDowall said.
“Ideally we want all of those temporary officers who exist within the public service to be appointed for the reasons I just mentioned.”
Back in 2017, the NUPW revealed that 52 nurses at polyclinics and 28 people at the level of Administrative Officer I had received their letters of appointment.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb
