Government dental surgeons protest over wage negotiations

Some public sector dental surgeons this morning protested to register their dissatisfaction with wage negotiations with the government. 

The disgruntled workers are represented by the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) and the Jamaica Association of Dental Surgeons (JAPEDNS).

The protest started at 9 a.m. at the Transformation Implementation Unit located along Saxthorpe Avenue in St Andrew, and then moved to the Ministry of Health and Wellness in New Kingston and continued at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. 

They chose to start at the unit because that body is responsible for the public sector compensation restructuring exercise. 

“Claims were served. We were one of the first groups that met with finance [ministry]. We met with them on the fifth of March and since that time we have been trying to have meetings with them and we're having challenges, no meeting at all,” UCASE president Vincent Morrison told The Gleaner during the protest.

According to him, dental surgeons are being classified in the same salary “bandwidth as an auxiliary [worker]”.

“A dental nurse and dental doctors are two different categories of people, and that is part of the problem,” he said.

Another issue the group is having surrounds the matter of governance.

“Over the years, what has been happening is that the medical doctors have been supervising the dental doctors, and we have said to the Ministry of Health [and Wellness] that that sort of governance cannot continue [as] dentistry is a specialised function. It's a legal function and we don't believe that the present situation should continue,” he said. 

- Ainsworth Morris

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