Nurses threaten strike action after Easter

posted on: Mar 27 2010 17:49 by Royston. Viewed 434 times.


The Coordinator of the Nursing Guilds has threatened to initiate protest actions, including a general strike, after Holy week celebrations are over, if nurses are not included in pay negotiations between the Government and physicians and other health unions.

Minerva Magdaleno, president of the National Union of Dominican Nursing Services  (UNASED, Rafaela Figuereo, general secretary of the National Union of Nursing Services (UNASE), and Bolivar Santana general secretary of the Nurses Association of IDSS, recalled that for the past year they had been  fighting alongside the Dominican Medical Association (CMD) for a pay rise, but now the guild has been left out   of negotiations carried out with the government.

They condemned the attitude of President of the CMD, Senen Caba, for violating agreements  that no one party should negotiate wage increases alone.

They indicated they will not allow groups of nurses and other health workers, who for the past two years have been fighting for higher wages, to be left out of negotiations.

They warned that they will work normally during Holy Week to ensure staff are available in hospitals to cope with the increased number of accidents during this time, but once the holiday is over, they will take to the streets to demand their rights.

They reported that the guilds remain in permanent session and called on their members to remain alert to the decisions taken.

 CMD met with the commission headed by Vice President Rafael Alburquerque on Thursday, no agreement was reached but another meeting was scheduled for early April.

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