NAJ takes issue with JCTU

The Nurses’ Association of Jamaica (NAJ) is accusing the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) of blocking the implementation of the reclassification of public sector nurses.



The NAJ should have been updated on the implementation of the reclassification during a meeting at the labour ministry yesterday.



But the labour minister, Pearnel Charles, told nurses at the meeting that they will now have to wait a week longer before the reclassification takes effect.



Mr Charles says this is because the finance ministry has now been asked to hold discussions with other public sector groups in the health sector.



But the NAJ president NAJ, Edith Allwood Anderson says this delay in implementing the reclassification is because of the actions of the JCTU.



Mrs Allwood-Anderson, says the JCTU has raised concerns about the nurses reclassification as a means to hold its own talks with the government.



Two years ago the NAJ withdrew its membership from the JCTU in the middle of salary negotiations as part of the Public Sector Memorandum of Understanding.