Saturday, June 16 2007

PSA President Jennifer Baptiste-Primus is confident that the nurses fired by the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) will be rehired because due process was not followed.

“Those two nursing personnel must be reinstated,” Baptiste-Primus asserted.

She said it was incredible for the nursing staff to be fired “and now the Nursing Council is conducting an investigation to determine whether disciplinary action could be taken. Disciplinary action has already been taken,” Baptiste-Primus said yesterday after the launch of the PSA’s wealth creation initiative at Hilton Trinidad.

The nurses were dismissed on May 25 for the second degree burns received by baby Justin Paul at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital on April 17.

Commenting on the failure of the NCRHA management to respond to the PSA’s request for a meeting on the matter, Baptiste-Primus said, “it is very unfortunate because the NCRHA is clearly exhibiting a lack of understanding of what proper industrial relations is all about.”

She said if an employer did something which is challenged by the union, the employer must be willing to meet for discussion.

Baptiste-Primus said the way in which the nurses were fired was “bizarre” since at a meeting on May 8, the NCRHA CEO Charles Mitchell and his team affirmed that they would use the Public Service regulations dealing with discipline.

“Clearly what they told us around the table was nothing more than a lie.”

First vice-president of the PSA, Stephen Thomas, said Mitchell did not have the “courtesy” to respond or acknowledge the PSA’s letter last Wednesday which requested a meeting, although his secretary confirmed receiving the correspondence. (It was sent following a letter sent on June 1, which also received no response.) Thomas said the letter suggested a meeting for June 18 and was waiting to see what will happen.

“If he does not respond then we go to the next step. Refer the matter to the Ministry of Labour and then to the court.”