A male nurse dressed in all black in protest of outstanding payments for uniform allowance and overtime.
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Claudette Clarke Waugh, President of the Enrolled Nurses Association
By Kimone Witter
Public sector nurses are wearing black for a second day as they await word from the Ministry of Health and the four Regional Health Authorities regarding outstanding payments for uniform allowance and overtime.
Registered and enrolled nurses as well as midwives started their 'Black Out' protest on Monday to demonstrate their frustration with the lack of response from the authorities.
The groups representing the healthcare workers say up to Tuesday morning, there was no communication from the authorities.
Speaking Tuesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, Claudette Clarke Waugh, President of the Enrolled Nurses Association, said the nurses will continue their protest with the hope that the regional health authorities will see their frustration and this will lead to a speedy resolution.
The groups say they will reevaluate the effectiveness of their protest at the end of Tuesday.
On Monday, the Southern and South East Regional Health Authorities said they were in discussions with the Finance Ministry to make the payments to the health workers.
In the meantime, the nursing groups say the shortage of personnel in the profession has forced many to do extra hours, with the expectation that they would be adequately compensated.
Mrs. Clarke Waugh said the issues with remuneration have caused some enrolled nurses to leave the profession, while prospective recruits are not interested in joining.
She said over the last two years, more than 100 of the more than 800 enrolled nurses in Jamaica migrated through recruitment programmes.
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