Hospital and union meet to talk over issues

Tue, June 22, 2010 - 12:10 AM

THE Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) deliberated for four hours yesterday in an effort to settle some issues, the chief among them relating to appointments.
The two parties met under the chairmanship of acting Chief Labour Office Victor Felix behind closed doors at the Warrens Office Complex.
The talks have been reportedly cordial and the two sides have agreed to communicate with each other before they agree to return to the bargaining table.
Deputy general secretary of the NUPW, Denis Clarke, was the chief negotiator for the NUPW while chief executive officer, Dr Dexter James, and human resources manager, Charmaine Napeleon Ramsay, put the case for the hospital.
Both parties have been tight-lipped on the talks but at the centre of contention is how the hospital hires its temporary workers. The QEH’s management has maintained that there is no right to an appointment in a relief post.
The hospital has indicated that “all substitute workers are employed on limited term contracts. This differs from appointed persons, who are permanent QEH employees who have acted in a post other than for a term of years, without prior consideration for appointment to hold the post in which they are acting”.
However, Clarke said those people who had been substituting consistently over the years must be given preference.
The lengthy talks had the effect of cancelling the meeting that was scheduled for the QEH’s auditorium in the afternoon, where the union was planning to meet with its members.(MK)

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Posted by Eileen 1 year, 11 months ago: It cannot be taken as read that a temporary worker would automatically fill a permanent position which he/she is currently occupying. I believe that the job should be advertised and the temporary worker should also be given the chance to apply along with everyone else. The best person for the job is what I say. Sometimes a person is good at doing his/her job, but is poor on team work, a bad communicator, a bad time keeper, self-opiniated and has an ego to feed.

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Posted by ssw 1 year, 11 months ago: A very positive way to pro-actively address the specific issue of “substitute” employees is to provide for a mandatory and objective evaluation of them; initially within the first 6 months; at the end of 12 months and annually thereafter if they remain as “substitutes”. Hence, failure to adhere to works applicable standards will allow for re-training and re-evaluation as necessary, possible re-assignment or termination as necessary. Employees cannot be productive and contributing if they’re not reaching the standards the employer need to get the job done. Begin the change now as a part of the “agreement”.