Keep calm, Govt has heard you

FOLLOWING the submission of grievances by health workers through the Bipartite Negotiating Panel (BNP), my Ministry and the Health Service Board have been making all efforts to address these concerns through a series of meetings and consultations.

These have led to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed on the 16th of March 2018 addressing some of these issues.

It is noted that when the CBA was signed, it was acknowledged that efforts will continue to be made to address other issues guided by availability of resources.

Unfortunately, this has not appealed to some of our healthworkers who have continued to stay away from work.

These issues were brought to the attention of the Office of the President. In my latest discussion with His Excellency, the President on 23 March 2018, he acknowledged receipt of these issues and agreed to attend to them at the earliest opportunity.

He noted and reaffirmed the Government commitment made in 2014 with respect to progressive realisation and improvement of conditions of service in the health sector.

He promised to make the necessary consultations in seeking a lasting solution to these issues in the shortest possible time.

In the meantime, His Excellency, the President has appealed to the members still on industrial action to return to work with immediate effect while he attends to the issues they raised.