By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Nurses Union President Amancha Williams is disappointed her members have still not been paid money owed to them by the government.

Meanwhile, Labour Director John Pinder sought to justify this telling The Tribune that due to the state of the country’s financial affairs, government has to prioritise what it spends.

However, he said nurses will be paid at some point.

In December, after being promised payment over a period of several months, Nurse Williams issued government an ultimatum giving it to the end of that month to release the funds.

But, government has failed to pay the promised COVID-19 stipend and overtime owed to nurses who worked for up to 16 hours a day during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Speaking with The Tribune Friday, Nurse Williams confirmed that the nurses have still not been paid and at this point, all communications between the Ministry of Health and the BNU have been cut off.

She said: “We can’t just sit down and take this. These guys are no longer even answering us. It’s like we are nobody. This is where we are at? We had a meeting with the Minister (of Health) after Boxing Day and we saw him last week Friday after being awarded by Jones Communications. He said he was going to call me on Saturday and he never did. He brushed us off. They have not paid us what’s owed from the 31st (December).

“They do not answer our calls. We tried to get some information from the Permanent Secretary, but nothing’s happening. The question is where is Labour? Where is the Director of Labour? Where is the Minister of Labour? When these things are not happening and they know they are not doing right by the employees, then they should step in. Why should the public have to suffer?

Asked if industrial action was the next step for workers, seeing that they were not getting anywhere with receiving monies owed, Nurse Williams was non-committal.

She said there are many things to look at before considering industrial action, however, she did not say that that form of action would not be taken.

The Tribune contacted the Director of Labour to inquire as to when the nurses would receive their funds. He said he felt confident that the government would make good on its promise of paying what is owed to the nurses, but the timing was bad as “things are tight” with the government’s finances.

The Tribune also asked Mr Pinder if there was anything he could do to oversee and speed up the process.

Mr Pinder said: “It is very little I can do besides to ensure that the government is committed to paying them. And, I already know that the government is committed to making those payments. The minister made mention of that and the prime minister made mention of that. It is just unfortunate that things are very tight at this time.

“I think the government’s focus at this time is trying to keep the civil service employed and salary going. I am sure, at some point, the nurses will get what they are entitled to. They have demonstrated their commitment to being on the front line during the pandemic and the government has committed to those payments.”

Mr Pinder went on to explain that although the government has acknowledged that the money is owed and will be paid, it now has to prioritise with its spending.

He continued: “The revenue is down in the country for a whole fiscal year so far, so the government has to prioritise. There are people who are owed overtime and some other benefits, but meanwhile you have to look at the people who you have to pay salaries to. One thing civil servants know is that the government will owe you, but the government will pay you. It’s guaranteed that you will be paid. Now sometimes it’s late, but you will be paid.”

Nurse Williams said she is very disappointed in the manner in which the government is treating its frontline workers.