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A Righteous mess
June 01, 2000
Sir/Madam,
My congratulations to the health workers for their refusal to given in to intimidation and sticking to their guns to demand better conditions of work in the interest of the hospital users and themselves.
The UNC government has made another attempt to divert attention from the real issues in this struggle. Their aim is to satisfy their sponsors and benefactors among the parasitical oligarchy that they are real champions of their interests under the label of “strong government”. They are only interested to safeguard the interest of finance capital and crush the struggles of the workers for decent living and working conditions.
Cynicism has characterised every move of the government in this issue. How can a government which is hell bent on making public officers leave their employment for lower quality employment in the RHA’s claim to be acting in the interest of the people.
They continue to raise the absurd demand via the CPO that a nurses allowance to compensate for long hours of overtime and other oppressive conditions can only be paid if the nurses agree to leave the public service and become RHA employees.
Such a demand is affront to the workers and has no real purpose except to antagonise. It shows clearly that the government is not interested in a negotiated settlement of that issue.
In recent days, the government (which has no legal authority to interefere with the salaries of public officers) has dug its hands deep into the purses and pockets of the nurses. Their objective is to punish the workers for standing up for decent working conditions and for defying this loyal regime of the parasitic oligarchy which still tries to pass itself off as somehow being “pro-worker”.
It is an act of intimidation pure and simple. And, the nurses have responded correctly by continuing their defiance and stepping up their struggle.
The slogan of “No work, No pay!” was used to win support of the unthinking among us since it sounds profound and fair. But what is “fair” about a situation in which the government which is responsible for the horrid conditions in the hospitals, allows almost half of the nurses who have paid to be trained recently to leave the country because they refuse to give them jobs in the health service quickly.
What is fair when the health workers are denied by an oppressive law the right to strike, to fight for their interests and the government refuses its obligation to address their dissatisfactions urgently and in good faith?
There is nothing fair in this situation to the workers. They did not bring about the staff shortages (which will not disappear even if every one of them were to work). They do not manage the inventories leaving the hospitals without vital equipment, materials and drugs to attend to the people. They did not decide to create RHAs, pay CEOs and others incomes of close to $20,000 per month each and achieve no real improvement in the situation.
The UNC, and the PNM before them, are the ones who are denying the people’s right to health care by pursuing this privatisation. Manning (nowadays claiming to be a supporter) amended the Consitution to try and give RHA bosses disciplinary control over public officers. Panday has now claimed that power unto himself.
The real issue here is that health care is a right of every citizen and government has failed to guarantee that right.
The workers have little left but their dignity and they are correct to fight for it.
There are well-meaning people who are calling for conciliation. What have the workers to conciliate. They decided to go back to work. The champions of the oligarchy decided not to let them by engaging in robbing them of their pay. The salaries must be restored.
The government must withdraw its demand for the health workers to leave the public officers in order to receive an allowance and negotiate the quantum seriously.
They must, like was done in 1991, develop along with the workers, a priority list of equipment, drugs etc. and establish a monitoring mechanism including the workers. They must get the staff that is needed to end the horrendous conditions in the hospitals.
The health workers deserve the support of all public officers and workers. This is a perfect case of “they touch one, they touch all”. If the government is allowed to get away with its terror tactics here, the workers will be opening up themselves up for a great setback in their fight for decent working and living conditions and for the right to wage just such a fight.
HOMEPAGE
Copyright © Clyde Weatherhead
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