Rambharat: 25% of NCRHA arrears to be paid by June 30

AGRICULTURE Minister Clarence Rambharat said that one quarter of arrears owed to workers of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) would be paid by the end of the month.

He was responding to an urgent question in the Senate Monday from Opposition Senator Wade Mark.

He asked, in light of recent protest action taken by healthcare workers attached to the NCRHA over the non-payment of gratuities and increments if the minister could advise when those workers would receive their outstanding payments.

Rambharat, answering on behalf of the Health Minister, said there had been ongoing meetings with the representative of the workers.

"The Government and the Ministry are committed to settling these arrears."

He said, by the end of June, 25 per cent of the arrears would be paid and the remainder would be paid "thereafter."

Mark asked how many health workers had not received their gratuity.

Rambharat replied 2,440 healthcare workers were involved in the matter but he later corrected himself and said that it was NCRHA employees which included healthcare workers.

On Friday, health workers who are members of the Public Services Association (PSA) and the National Health Workers Union staged a protest at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope on the issue. PSA spokesman Kester Thomas had said increments were outstanding and there were arrears on the increments.

NCRHA CEO Davlin Thomas previously told Newsday that the retroactive payment for increments was at a cost of $50 million dollars.

“We are waiting to see if we would get it at the Ministry of Health level. We submitted the proper documents and we are waiting. Remember this is something that we inherited, but everyone one is at the correct incremental point. That happened this year.”