Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer

Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica, addresses a Gleaner Editors' Forum held at the newspaper company's head offices in central Kingston yesterday. Seated next to Mrs. Allwood-Anderson are the executive members of the NAJ. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Members of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) are insisting that they will hold the new Finance Minister, Audley Shaw, to a promise to substantially increase their pay, in short order, saying they have this promise on tape and will be seeking early delivery on the commitment.

It was at a Founder's Day function on July 19, 2006, the nurses claim that, Mr. Shaw, then Opposition Spokesman on Finance, made the promise to double the pay of public sector nurses when he took office.

"We have him on a DVD where he cut the cake with us at our 60th anniversary/Founder's Day and he really sympathised with us and we are holding him to it (the promise)," declared Edith Allwood-Anderson, NAJ president, yesterday at a Gleaner Editors' Forum.

At least twice their pay

"I recall him saying that nurses should be getting at least twice their pay and that they (the Jamaica Labour Party) were committed to doing that when they came to office," she said.

At the NAJ's annual general meeting last week, Mrs. Allwood-Anderson served notice that this matter would be pursued, and she reiterated at the Editors' forum that it was not an idle promise.

She was backed up by the other members of the NAJ executive who, in a chorus, recited the date and place of the memorable promise: "July 19, 2006; PCJ Auditorium!"

Furthermore, Mrs. Allwood Anderson, claimed, the JLP, then in opposition, benefited significantly from the pressure the NAJ was bringing to bear on the government of the day through its "public education programme" by associating itself with the nurses' cause.

The NAJ is preparing to begin negotiations for a new salary and fringe benefits contract with the government, set to take effect April 1, 2008. These negotiations will have to take account of the promise, according to Mrs. Allwood Anderson.

The JLP, in its manifesto for the September 3 general election, gave a commitment to "offer improved remuneration and conditions of service" to nurses and other groups in the health sector. This clearly fell short of the specific promise that the NAJ is now claiming that Mr. Shaw made.

In the meantime, the NAJ president said, the association was looking forward to meeting with Senator Dwight Nelson, the minister directly in charge of public sector compensation issues in the finance ministry, to conclude the reclassification of the nursing profession.

In supporting the president's position, Noel Julius, first vice-president of the NAJ, disclosed that the highest paid nurse in Jamaica was not being paid more than $1.8 million per annum and the lowest paid is getting $45,000 per month (pre-tax) or $540,000 per annum.

Such low levels of compensation served as a disincentive for more nurses to engage in specialist training or remain in the profession in Jamaica, he and other executive members complained.

The nurses listed 14 areas of specialist nursing disciplines in which they said there were severe shortages, including critical care, accident and emergency, midwifery, orthopaedics, cancer care, cardiothoracic, and renal care (nephrology).

There are reportedly more than 4,000 nursing positions in the public sector, but only approximately 2,300 are filled, according to the NAJ.