Some of the nurses gathered at the Ministry of Health yesterday seeking answers over their overtime pay concerns. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HUNDREDS of nurses gathered outside the Ministry of Health yesterday morning, waiting up to three hours in some cases for Health Minister Renward Wells to come and address their overtime pay concerns.
The nurses could take similar action as early as today after ministry officials eventually responded to them in a “dissatisfactory way,” according to Bahamas Nurses Union President Amancha Williams.
Nurses in the Department of Health have not received overtime pay since the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting The Bahamas in March 2020, The Tribune was told, despite the fact that many of them work 16-hour shifts three or four days a week.
Sheniqua Cox, the BNU’s general secretary, said nurses are “sick and tired”.
“They worked all during the pandemic for nine months and today overtime isn’t paid,” she said. “We’ve been back and forth with the (former) minister of health who promised to solve the situation and here it is, a new minister of health is here, and nothing has been done.
“These nurses have families, they have homes to attend. Yes, we’re grateful that we still have a 9am to 5pm or 8am to 4pm job but we are required to work extra hours to care for the health and wealth of The Bahamas. At least show us the respect and give us what’s owed to us. Nurses in the PHA system are being paid on time so why is it that for nurses in the Department of Health, it’s a problem for them?
“The workload has become greater during the pandemic,” she added. “The hospital is taking only minor stuff, so they direct you to the clinic to be triaged before you go into PMH, therefore nurses have to take on a greater workload.”
Ms Williams said there are over 500 nurses in the Department of Health system, many of whom are affected by the overtime issue in some way.
She said during a meeting yesterday, ministry officials outlined a plan that would see nurses get paid about $162,000 for overtime work done from March 2020 to September 2020. The money would be paid at the end of February. Pay for overtime work done from October 2020 to January 2021 would be paid in April or May, amounting to about $90,000, she said. She added that those who work overtime in January and February of this year may not get their overtime pay until as late as August under this arrangement.
She said this is unacceptable.
“If you work overtime this month, you should get it next month,” she said. “These nurses deserve the same system that other nurses have.”
She said the nurses’ action yesterday “symbolises that we’ve had enough and we’re not standing up for foolishness anymore”.
“This is not the environment that we would want to bring the youths in,” she said. “Could you imagine that this is what you’re selling to the younger generation? That when you come here you don’t know what you’re going to get paid, you don’t know when you going to get confirmed? What are we offering these young people? If we can’t budget our budget and run a country, then where does hope lie?”
Comments
Chucky 3 years, 10 months ago
If your staff works overtime you must pay them ! Nurses or whatever their profession!
If you don’t pay them, you are a piece of garbage and deserve whatever consequences come your way.
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
Minnis can be rest assured none of these nurses and their voting age family matters will be voting for the FNM candidate running in their constituency come the next general election. And no sooner will Minnis approve these nurses being paid what they are owed when union members across our country will go on strike to make sure they get whatever they can get knowing the government is quickly running out of money.
It's looking more like Minnis will have to call a snap election real soon given all of the union and other civil unrest that is now just around the corner.
Cobalt 3 years, 10 months ago
So.... what is voting out Dr. Minnis going to do? Do you think the PLP is going to pay them? Didn’t we just remove the PLP from office for their ineptitudes? Please place your emotions aside and “think”. Be practical.
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
The time has long past for you and the remaining few others like you to have put your undying blind loyalty to Minnis aside. Minnis has time and time again since May 2017 proven himself to be a most incompetent, arrogant, nasty and vindictive PM. The IMF has already closed the lid on our country's coffin and another 5 years of Minnis would only give them the excuse they want and need to bury it forever more.
M0J0 3 years, 10 months ago
sidewalks but cant pay the first responders, wow is all one can say
ForeverDreamer 3 years, 10 months ago
The sidewalks jargon is so silly to me. The country had a depressed construction industry with many having 0 income during this time. The project was good regardless of who else was owed. Overtime is smaller priority than adding income to a 0 income period for construction firms. But go one, shout sidewalks are a waste. At least understand that it's just funny dishonest rhetoric.
Chucky 3 years, 10 months ago
That is the fools argument.
The overtime and many other current bills must be paid!
If the money is there, then you can have your sidewalks.....!
Overtime is for working late, extra hours etc etc, payment of such is not optional, it's not "just extra money" to the recipients that they don't have to be paid.
Your mindless argument could be extended to say that anyone making more than minimum wage is making extra, that could instead be re distributed to those who are not working. That's a dangerous argument.
People who do better financially have usually invested more in themselves , higher education, work longer hours etc etc etc Those who are not working, are usually the ones who don't try, have nothing invested. The first to be laid off is always the least worthy employee and not coincidentally they are also the last to be hired. Why would anyone support wealth re distribution to people like this. Let darwin take care of them!
joeblow 3 years, 10 months ago
... sidewalks or people putting their lives at risk daily with inadequate protection during a national health crisis-- that is the question and the answer should be obvious!
KapunkleUp 3 years, 10 months ago
Time to again warm up and the printing presses and churn out more dollar bills.
bogart 3 years, 10 months ago
You work and you get paid. This ongoing blatent wrong needs to stop being used on these females. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas as like many other Govts of other countries have the ability to have money to pay debts. The Govts have usual means to face costs of obtaining funds and the means of creating means to repay, generally like selling assets like Batelco to pay down debt, taxes be it dose of VAT and second dose, Corporate tax, income tax, selling run down govt buildings, tbills etcetc. and to also have funds by eliminating wastages. Govt is not devoid of having funds to pay bills it is responsible for and somehow headscratching considering free enterprise market forces Clico and a bank with private shareholders
In the Medical area and recent years these Nurses must have been aware of obvious authorities have wasted tens of millions of dollars like the buying seems half a mountain in Palmetto to built a Clinic some $27 million dollars? and wind up with no Clinic and grading down the mountain, then the recent Clinic invested for Clinic in Cat Island $6.6 million dollars but clinic was not suitable and not built, then there is the $18 million dollars for PMH Computer system that was high problems, then there was the exhorbitant housing of persons in hospital beds instead of having them relocated, etcetcetc. The Nurses worked and must be paid and interest and cost added to amounts money outstanding to them and officials held responsible working people and not paying them. (This type of not paying workers does not seem to happen in the male dominated construction business.)
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