Wednesday, June 27 2007

The firing of the nurse and enrolled nursing assistant will be referred to the Ministry of Labour tomorrow morning if the management of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) fails to meet with the Public Services Association (PSA).

PSA first vice president Stephen Thomas yesterday disclosed that last Friday Chief Executive Officer Charles Mitchell responded to two letters sent by the union earlier this month. Mitchell indicated that the matter was passed to the general manager of human resources Jennifer Parks who would communicate with Thomas.

He has not heard from Parks. Meanwhile, the dismissed workers have not been paid by the NCRHA for May.

Thomas said, the NCRHA had two options — pay the workers up until the date they were fired or pay the entire month. He said vacation leave earned during the period they worked and any contributions to the pension plan will also be owed. At a post-Cabinet media briefing on May 24, Health Minister John Rahael announced the firing of the nurses for the second-degree burns which newborn Justin Paul received on April 17.

They were notified by the NCRHA the next day when they attended a tribunal hearing, which they were summoned to attend.