NAJ demands urgent meeting with the finance ministry over compensation review

The Nurses' Association of Jamaica (NAJ) is demanding an urgent meeting with the Ministry of Finance amid discontent over outstanding items under the Public Sector Compensation Review.

NAJ President Dawn-Marie Richards made the call following the association's third quarterly general meeting on Thursday.

She says the association last had a meeting with the finance ministry on April 2.

She says on Tuesday, the association received a letter from the ministry regarding the compensation review, but she says it did not address the matters about which the NAJ is awaiting an update.

"We need to know from the ministry of finance what next. We need to know that, and we need to know that urgently," Richards says.

While urging Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke to get in touch with the association within the next 24 hours, Richards says the NAJ is not threatening a withdrawal of service.

"We are not looking at the withdrawal of services, that is not where we are going. As we would have said earlier, it is not about affecting patient care, that's not what it is about. It is about seeing to the welfare of the nurses of Jamaica," Richards explains.

"It is said that there is respect for the nurses of Jamaica, but we are not so sure based on what we see," she adds.

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