HSWU to embark on a 3-day protest, strike action on the line
Agitations by labour unions seem unending as they all demand nothing but the best conditions from, especially the government so they[workers] can give of their best at work.
This time around it’s the disgruntled members of the Health Service Workers Union who are up in arms and displeased with how the government has dealt with them so far.
As a way to express their displeasure, they would be clad in red bands from 20th to 22nd October to protest over their conditions of service.
The group has so far sent its grievances to the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission who is the leader of the government negotiation team over the seeming delay in spelling out their conditions of service.
According to the union they had high hopes of concluding the negotiations that had spanned for over two (2) years when the FWSC convened an offsite meeting from the 8th to 9th October 2021, organized by the Health Ministry. However, following the turn of events in the meetings, the Union’s hope that both parties were going to bring finality to this arduous process for members to start enjoying was quashed.
A portion of their statement reads “The Collective Agreement since 2015 has not seen any proper implementation and to complicate matters, the negotiations for HSWU members have been long overdue after the other sister Union’s conditions of service have been concluded in the year 2019 and 2020 and are being implemented, whilst our members are working with them in the same facilities and lagging behind”.
They also expressed their sadness over how the government treats other unions in the health sector but neglect them[HSWU] thus accusing the government of discrimination. Adding that members are outraged and fed-up with this unfair treatment because urgent concerns and requests from members are simply bundled under the carpet or lackadaisically addressed with a plethora of excuses.
“With all these inexplicable complexities surrounding the ongoing negotiations, the leadership finds it unattainable to calm the nerves of members for a peaceful industrial atmosphere within the Health Sector because of the ongoing discrimination. The dragging of feet by the Government team towards the negotiations is causing a lot of agitations among members.
“It is in the light of this that, the NEC and leadership resolve that; From the time of this meeting, the Union gives the negotiating parties an ultimatum up to 20th October 2021 to finalise the negotiations,” HSWU statement.
To express how angry and agitated they are they will be clad in red bands from 20th to the 22nd of October 2021 to protest the unfair treatment being meted out to them. After the 22nd of October, the Union cannot be held responsible for any industrial disharmony.
According to the union, however, it does not wish is not to disrupt the smooth delivery of health services and peaceful industrial atmosphere but the incessant disregard by the government team to heed their simple request has pushed them to the wall. Government must as a matter of urgency convene and conclude the negotiations before the unexpected happens.
“We count on your cooperation in solving this pertinent problem soonest,” the statement concluded.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
