Health workers condemned for protest over unpaid salaries

Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles and Secretary of Health, Dr Agatha Carrington have condemned Tuesday protest action at the Division of Health new headquarters at Habib Building, Highmoor Road, Scarborough.

On Tuesday, employees of the Division led by Public Services Association (PSA) president, Watson Duke engaged in protest action at having to occupy what they said was incomplete accommodation as well as the non-payment of salaries for December.

Speaking at Wednesday’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Administrative Complex in Calder Hall, Charles said staff would be paid before Christmas.

He said the protest action “ demonstrates a particular kind of lawlessness, akin almost to mob rule which is something that in the context of the development of the

island one cannot tolerate. I wish to place on record my condemnation of the activity,” he said.

Carrington, describing the incident as ‘traumatising,’ said she will be exploring her legal options to deal with the matter.

“That situation was intolerable, untenable and should not happen in workspaces… we will not accept this behaviour in our workspace. For those persons whose business is not in our workspaces, we encourage them to desist from coming there. For the trauma that I faced, there are legal options that I would explore because that would not go unattended,” she said.

Carrington insisted that communication regarding the December 15 relocation of the Health offices was made since August and that “there were several pieces of communication to the person who was to discharge the responsibility and that appeared to not have been done.”

“It is my understanding from the staff that they were not informed and more recently, they say they were informed two days ago (Sunday)… I have asked for all written correspondence sent by the Administrator and that is yet to be provided... I am still awaiting the documentation because she gave the assurance that persons were notified. I am awaiting the written communication sent to each staff, as requested,” Carrington said.

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