2016-02-04
MEDIA RELEASE
VICIOUS
CUT BACKS IN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM
Dave
Smith, the General Secretary of the National Health Workers Union, issued the
following statement.
The National Health Workers’
Union (NHWU) has accessed a memo sent to Divisional heads of departments who
are being advised by the CEO’s of the respective Regional Health Authorities to
implement sweeping cuts in health care throughout the country.
The impetus for this latest move
comes from the Ministry of Health “to review overall expenditure and implement a
7% cost cutting measure (inclusive of Salaries and Goods & services).” The mandate originated from the office of the
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. This is the same Government that is on
public record as committing itself to pay retroactive salaries owed to these
very workers since 2011 and to do so early this year. What is the truth? Are
they cutting salaries or are they clearing their debt?
The memo goes on to list the
following measures that can be implemented:
“A comprehensive assessment of
the institution’s Establishment, to determine if spare capacity exists.
Whether all temporary officers
are against a vacant post?
Are we getting value for money?
How are we measuring performance?
How do we manage overall overtime?
Are we maximizing on the use of our
consumables such as stationery, hardware, medical supplies, linens, laboratory
supplies, radiology supplies etc.?”
The areas to be cut are to be
supplied to the General Managers, Finance by Friday 5th February 2016.
All of this is taking place
against a worldwide health alert on the Zika virus and the constant public
relations posturing and distractions from the real issues in health care by the
current Minister of Health. It is quite clear that that his constant media
rants are smokescreens to divert attention away from the impending horrors to
be inflicted upon health care workers and the working people and the poor who
make use of our public health institutions.
The instruction to “review” expenditure on
salaries, goods and services represents a clear and present assault on ALL
workers employed by the RHA’s and to the public at large.
The threat to the salaries of
monthly-paid health workers is ominous as none of the monthly rated staff
except the doctors employed by the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA)
have Recognised Majority Union status and consequently none of their salaries
is protected by a collective agreement. This exposes all of them to the
unilateral abuses of management: the classical “Master and Servant”
relationship.
The attack on goods and services
will result in further hardships on the population as we can expect even longer
waiting times for doctors’ attention, even more grievous shortages of medicine,
unconscionable delays in accessing medical tests, dialysis etc. It is well
known that there are serious deficits in terms of equipment, staff, medication,
utensils and everyday products, maintenance of tools and equipment etc.
The
assessment of the Institutions’ establishments to determine if “spare capacity
exists” is double speak for retrenchment of staff. This, when in the North
Central Regional Health Authority there are, at least, six hundred and fifty
vacancies to be filled, and in the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA)
there are three thousand four hundred and thirteen (3413) vacancies, including
nine hundred and ninety-two (992) nursing vacancies. Other staff shortages
include laboratory technicians, phlebotomists, radiographers, pharmacists,
dietetic and
nutrition personnel, health safety and environment personnel, medical social
workers and many other specialisations.
All the monthly paid workers
previously identified are on individual contracts which contain termination
provisions.
Hundreds of so-called “Temporary
Officers” have been on the job for years, some for over fifteen years. Over
eighty temporary and contract staff attached to SWRHA had already received
offers of permanent employment, some already had pension deductions made and
now this brutal and heartless onslaught is being hatched
The mindless chopping and
slashing are predictable as the heads have been given just two weeks to present
their plan. All the questions about value for money, measuring performance etc.
are all rhetorical. Those are the normal duties of management. If the CEO’s are
of the view that the heads had not been doing their jobs then the CEO’s and all
of them should be fired immediately.
This action by the Government to slash health
care costs as part of its austerity measures is typical World Bank/IMF
conditionalities which have been implemented in many European and South
American countries. It was also done in T&T in the late 1980’s and early
1990’s. It has always been met with stiff resistance by the poor and working class.
This struggle has no race or party lines; it is about the survival of all who
are dependent on the public health care system. The struggle
of health workers is the struggle of those who utilise the public health
system
The NHWU condemns the vicious
attack being orchestrated in the health sector that will have devastating
effects on the population, particularly the poor and working class and the
workers employed in the sector.
The NHWU calls on health workers
to prepare for a long and bitter struggle. This battle cannot and will not be
won unless ALL health workers come forward and make sure their voices are heard.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Smith, General Secretary National
Health Workers Union 683 5305
