Judge orders that deductions from striking Linden nurses be repaid
-state has not complied with deadline, says will appeal decision
Despite a ruling by Justice Nareshwar Harnanan in November last year that deductions illegally made from striking Linden nurses in 2021 be repaid by December 31st 2023, the state has not complied and it says it will appeal the decision.
The state says it will also seek a stay of the ruling. Its non-compliance with the judge’s decision could lead to contempt of court proceedings.
Since the judge’s ruling on November 2nd last year, the nurses’ representative the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has sought to have the deductions repaid to no avail.
The GPSU was the claimant in the case and the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health and the Attorney General were the defendants.
According to a press release dated January 11th, 2024 from the Union, it wrote the PS of the Ministry of Health the day before, advising of the order made by the court on November 2nd last for the repayments to have been made no later than December 31st, 2023.
The Union had by then already written a previous letter to the PS dated December 28th, 2023, urging compliance.
The GPSU said that in response to its latest letter, however, the PS sought to advise that the Attorney General (AG) had filed a notice of appeal and was also in the process of filing a notice of application for a stay of proceedings.
Against this background, the PS, the Union said, sought to further advise that based on instructions coming from the Chambers of the Attorney General, no repayments would be forthcoming at this time.
According to a copy of the letter signed by PS Malcom Watkins which was seen by this newspaper, it advises, “I wish to inform you that I am aware of the order of the court, however, I was advised, and I verily believe that the Attorney General of Guyana has filed a notice of appeal and is preparing to file a notice of application for stay of proceedings.”
“In this regard, I await further instructions on the matter,” the letter went on to state; before ending with, “should you have any questions/queries, please direct same to the Attorney General.”
Underscoring what it says is an injustice meted out to the nurses, the Union has stressed that the healthcare workers ought to be paid.