One week after technicians at The Cable on St. Kitts went on strike to force a 10 percent salary increase, nurses on St. Kitts, who successfully completed the mid-wifery programme, have accused the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government of “unfair and unjust” treatment.
Unnamed nurses have sorted the assistance of prominent Nevisian blogger, Everton “Obi” Elliott in nudging the government to restore their full salary now that they have successfully completed the mid-wifery programme.
“Nurses in St. Kitts are crying out for help again and once again they are asking that I help them out,” said Elliott on his FaceBook page on Tuesday.
“Here is what a few of them sent to me. ‘There was 15 of us who did the midwifery programme. We finish since December the 9th 2016 and have being working all the shifts. While we were in college they gave us 4/5 (of salary). We made noise because we were the first group to make history in salaries cut with this new government. That never happened before. Anyhow we agree we were in college and we accepted the cut in salary,” the nurses said.
“But good God, Obi can u please tell them to return us to our Registered Nurse salary. We are not asking for staff nurse salary although we are entitled to the staff nurse salary. It has been months we (are) on four-fifths salary,” Obi reported the nurses as saying.
The nurses also told the Washington-based Nevisian that the Human Resource Department informed them to take the matter elsewhere.
“We have been to human resource, but they say from their end they cannot help us. Talk to the big Boss who in-charge of the nurses to send and say we finish college and so we can get our money,” the nurses told Elliott.
The nurses have regarded the situation as unfair and made an appeal for help.
“This is being unfair to us, another month without a full salary and we are working hard like hell. Can someone look into this immediately? We have bills to pay, children to feed, loans to pay and other places like Horsford and TDC, Come on, somebody need to talk on our behalf, No money in we pocket, but we working we ass off. Unfair and injustice to nurses, because we work hard like hell,” said the nurse to Elliott.
She pointed out it was not a political issue because she is a strong supporter of the People’s Action Movement (PAM).
“Many nurses would be glad to see somebody get the message out there. Obi please help us. I see you put out a post about Nevis water and shortly after the minister came and respond. Make them respond about our money. We are frustrated and believe they need to treat us better, we deserve better Obi.”