Minister to meet with unions on Clarevue

Minister of Health Molywn Joseph is expected to meet next week with the Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA), the Antigua and Barbuda Nurses Association and the management and nursing staff at Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital to address issues currently affecting employees and patients of the institution – sparking multiple rounds of public industrial action.
The meeting was scheduled following the latest protests by Clarevue nursing staff this week. Among their demands were improvements to working conditions, which include poor bathroom facilities, lack of medication for patients, and a shortage of nurses at the facility.
Two weeks ago, the Minister of Health met with the management of Clarevue Hospital and a representative of the Nurses’ Association in an effort to reach agreement on having the grievances addressed.
However, the nursing staff said the details of that meeting were not communicated to them.
President of the ABPSA Joan Peters said Minister Joseph met with her on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
“I met the Health Minister on his way to the airport, but as nothing [substantial] could come out of it, he said . . . when he [comes] back from his trip he would have a meeting with us,” she said.
Joseph, in a statement, said next week’s meeting will be an opportunity to have all the issues laid out so that appropriate action can be taken.
However, Peters, who is president of the union that represents public servants, said the protests will continue until the details about solving the issues facing the nurses have been addressed.
“We cannot [stop the protests] until we get a concrete timeline [for improvements],” she said.