Former med techs demand payment of salary arrears

WESTERN BUREAU:

Several former medical technologists who resigned before the payment of salary arrears to their colleagues in December 2023 are expressing frustration over what they describe as the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ (MOHW) failure to pay them outstanding funds they believe are owed.

Medical technologists analyse and process all blood and tissue samples for Jamaica’s public health facilities.

One former employee at the National Public Health Laboratory, who resigned in November 2023, told The Sunday Gleaner that she has made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue with the ministry’s accounts department.

“There was a compensation review, where most government workers were given an increase, and the medical technologists group had some challenges signing off because they were still negotiating. They finally signed off last year, 2023, and they paid [retroactive sums] in December. I resigned in November, so I was told I would not get any back money in December because I was [no longer] on the payroll,” she said.

The woman said she was instructed to write a letter to the accounts director, which she did, but she never received a response.

“I decided in August this year that I would reach out to them and ask them what was going on ... . I was told I should be audited,” she added. “I sent that letter to the human resources director and copied it to the accounts director, and they said, ‘We’re sorry you were not paid your money. We’ll get back to you on the matter.’ That was in August, and this is now November, and I have not received any more response after that.”

Another former medical technologist at the National Public Health Laboratory shared a comparable experience.

“I was working there at the lab for about three to four years, and I resigned in January 2023. We are now in November 2024, and I still have not received my retroactive payment for any time before that, and also my last two months’ salary, including any overtime that I did. I have not gotten anything at all,” said the woman, who now resides overseas.

“I have reached out to them multiple times – maybe about four or five times – since I have visited Jamaica between then and now,” she added, telling The Sunday Gleaner that each time she reaches out, she is given a new excuse – misplaced files, delays, or miscommunications.

Despite sending multiple emails, she said, nothing has been resolved.

Both women estimate they are each owed roughly $1 million in retroactive payments.

BROADER CONCERNS

Kameka Duncan-Pottinger, chairman of the Jamaica branch of the Caribbean Association of Medical Technologists, confirmed that her organisation has received several similar reports.

“It is definitely a concern, and already similar issues have been causing some amount of brain drain or attrition from the public laboratory system. Persons have been seeking opportunities elsewhere, especially overseas, because they are disgruntled with the compensation,” Duncan-Pottinger told The Sunday Gleaner.

“There has been some amount of effort that has been made on the part of the Government, and I must commend them for that, where they have increased the salaries based on the scale, but those retroactive payments would still be due because it is for work which was already done. They really do need to pay up, even though those persons would have moved on to other opportunities in search of better pay, and we are hoping it will be rectified as soon as possible,” Duncan-Pottinger continued.

When contacted, St Patrice Ennis, the president of the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel, said his organisation had not received any such reports.

Meanwhile, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said checks would be conducted regarding the status of these arrears.

This is not the first time medical technologists have raised concerns over compensation. Protests over salary arrears disrupted operations at key facilities, including the National Public Health Laboratory, the Blood Bank, and the Kingston Public Hospital’s laboratory, in 2018.

More recently, in August 2023, workers expressed dissatisfaction with wage negotiations and delays in signing new agreements.

In the meantime, one of the affected women complained that the non-payment of the arrears has financially impacted her and her peers.

“We all personally have our own plans – our own business, taxes, and mortgages – so, of course, it is delaying our plans. We all had plans for our money from the time when we were told we were going to get it. So it is a disadvantage in a lot of ways,” she said.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com