GOVERNMENT MEDICAL technologists have voted to resume their strike today, but the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) is expected to call an emergency meeting this morning and issue a back-to-work order.
The medical technologists made the decision yesterday, after the Ministry of Labour and Social Security failed to conciliate a resolution of their parity issue. This followed a number of meetings involving the Ministries of Health and Finance and Planning and their union, the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP).
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Horace Dalley, referred the dispute to the IDT Tuesday after the latest abortive attempt to resolve the issue.
Leford Bennett, UTASP chief union delegate, said yesterday that the medical technologists would not turn up for work at eight this morning. This action is likely to affect diagnostic activities in government hospitals, the National Public Health Laboratory and the National Blood Transfusion Service (Blood Bank). The decision was made at a meeting yesterday morning.
Tuesday's meeting between representatives of UTASP and the ministries of Health and Finance and Planning at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security ended in deadlock after the technologists rejected an offer from the Government. A marathon meeting last week Thursday, involving Mr. Dalley, also ended in deadlock.
