Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer

THE NURSES' Association of Jamaica (NAJ) yesterday issued an ultimatum to Government to release the findings of the Cabinet deliberation on the reclassification exercise.

NAJ President Edith Allwood-Anderson wants the report to be made public by tomorrow.

She said Prime Minister Bruce Golding had promised, about two weeks ago, to deliver the report to the nurses within seven days, but more than 14 days had elapsed since.

The NAJ president was addressing the association's 39th Island Conference and 63rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Sunset Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios on Friday.

thunderous chorus

"He said he would hand us the findings on the deliberations of Cabinet in a meeting with us. That's what we need, we told him; but he sent it elsewhere, to his emissary," Allwood-Anderson told the meeting.

"You want the report?" she asked the nurses, to a thunderous chorus of "Yes!"

"We want the report, and there is no threat, because the die is cast," she continued.

"So the prime minister has between now and Sunday to tell the nation, in a special broadcast, what the Cabinet has handed down ..." Allwood-Anderson said.

The island's nurses and the Government have been at odds since the reclassification of nurses was done in 2007, with the NAJ pressing to have the proposed changes implemented.

The reclassification would see a different payment structure for the nurses which, in most cases, would see them getting increased pay.

At the AGM on Thursday, Anderson was returned as NAJ president for another term, earning more votes than all other persons on the ballot combined.