The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Nurses Union could be gearing up for another fight with the Public Hospitals Authority after more than 100 nurses were allegedly put on a shift system that the union has consistently opposed, according to BNU president Amancha Williams.

She said the union will take legal action against the government.

The nurses and the PHA have been battling the shift issue for more than two years.

Ms Williams said between 100 to 200 new nurses recently received letters indicating they will work five eight hour shifts per week. The shift for established nurses is four on/four off.

“They did this throughout all of the PHA so they had a plan,” Ms Williams said. “They’re going against the industrial agreement.”

Some nurses in Grand Bahama reportedly called in sick to protest the shift condition.

Ms Williams said: “You think this government could afford to shut down any hospital or clinic? So why do you want to put a shift change in the middle of COVID? They are taking advantage of us. When you (are) supposed to be compensating us, you beating us. We are still getting bullied by this administration. You should have the best interest of the people at heart right now but they are still not offering the nurses anything.”

Asked what nurses will do about the matter, Ms Williams said: “Anything is liable to happen. We got to do what we got to do. We’re definitely going to sue them. They’re not practising goodwill.”

When contacted yesterday, a PHA representative said a press statement about the matter will be released today.

Some nurses now want to take drastic action during the pandemic in protest of the government’s action.

In a voice note shared with The Tribune, one nurse said: “The government is using this pandemic to push their own agenda and force nurses into complying with a shift change and other things that they could not get otherwise. I honestly believe, this is my personal opinion, I honestly believe the time for talking is finished and it’s time for us to take action because this government is not playing by the rules and the only thing they’re going to understand is when all nurses, not just one island here, or one institution there, all islands shut down right in the midst of this pandemic and let them know that we mean business.

“They’re not going by any agreement, they’re not abiding by the rules and regulations based on the rule that governs how things are supposed to be done…I think it’s time we shut down the entire health system. I know it’s a pandemic, I’m sorry that people are getting sick, I’m sorry that people are dying but the government is not playing fair,” the nurse claimed.

In 2018, former BNU president Jannah Khalfani suggested to The Tribune that with regard to the shift issue, union representatives outwitted top PHA officials during negotiations for the 2014 industrial agreement. She said PHA officials were ignorant of the proper procedure for changing the terms and conditions of the nurses’ employment.

Whether the agreement is enforceable had been at the heart of a dispute between PHA and BNU in 2018, with health officials insisting at the time it empowered the authority to implement a shift change because both sides signed the document.