Linden Hospital nurses’ gratuity still an issue

…”We’re only receiving promises” – GPSU

It has been years since nurses and other staff attached to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) have been suffering in relation to their gratuity, and according to Guyana Public Service Union’s Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Representative, Maurice Butters, promises are still only being made on the part of the relevant authorities. These, he noted, includes representatives from the Public Health Ministry. Butters has, for years, contended that when the female employees proceed on three months’ maternity leave, they often times lose all of their gratuity. The GPSU Representative told Guyana Times during an interview on Tuesday that he was even more concerned about the fate of the employees, since the Government may be seeking to increase maternity leave from three to six months.
“What will happen to those employees? When they proceed on their three months’ leave, they sometimes lose all of their gratuity. It’s like they are paying to be pregnant. Everybody deserves a family,” he stated.
Butters said he has raised the issue at various forums and has written numerous letters to the former Health Ministry as well as the current Public Health Ministry, but the issue has still not been resolved. He noted that only a few months ago, the issue was raised with Junior Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings and more recently, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence. He added that he has also written to Permanent Secretary within the Public Health Ministry, Trevor Thomas seeking an audience in relation to the issue, but he has so far not received any acknowledgement. While the GPSU Representative explained that the next option may be to consult with President David Granger on the issue, he scoffed at that option, noting that the issue was a simple one, which should easily be resolved at the ministerial level.
“The employees are continuously asking when the issue would be resolved. From since 2010 to now, this has been happening. All admit that what is happening is wrong, but none is making any step to make it right. Why is it so difficult for this matter to be resolved?” Butters asked.
Additionally, he stated that there had been misinterpretation in the computing of gratuity payments since they were supposed to be calculated on a three-month basis, but payments were only received every six months.
“If that employee proceeds on maternity leave and that leave commences within the last months of the six-month period that they are paid for, then they lose an entire year of gratuity. Although the contract clearly states that they should be assessed within a three-month period,” he had indicated.