A number of staff of the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre backed by their union commenced an industrial action on Monday.
President of the Public Service Union, Elroy Boucher, says the action taken is a result of workers and the union being backed against a wall with no other choice.
At a news conference on Monday, Boucher detailed the union’s fight to resolve several issues facing workers at the Centre, including what he termed as a long standing unhealthy relationship between the management of the centre and staff, as well as working conditions which affect both patients and staff.
Boucher says that the union has written to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health on numerous occasions listing the issues with no response resulting in this week’s industrial action.
Boucher also spoke about the union’s struggle to get the attention of the Minister of Health St. Clair “Jimmy” Prince to deal with the issues.
The PSU president said, sixty to seventy five percent of the workers at the Centre reportedly withdrew their services, which he said was a success.
Upon receipt of a letter from the Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Susan Dougan, Boucher advised that workers would return to work on Wednesday as he said he supports the GG’s suggestion to try as best as possible to manage the impact of the strike action on the patients at the facility. Boucher however advised that further action will be taken if the union continues to see no results.
