NURSES have threatened to stage a stop-work from Wednesday if the Government fails to implement an agreement it signed with the union.PNG Nurses Association (PNGNA) acting president Steven Nawik said the Government had ignored the agreement it reached with the nurses.
“We want to advise the public that nurses serving in rural health facilities, from community health posts to health centres, provincial hospitals and the four regional referral hospitals will withdraw services on Wednesday,” Nawik said.
The association last November had asked the Government parties to sign the 2011-2013 log of claims which had expired.
It made a submission to the Government for the review but was turned down.
The agreement by Papua New Guinea Nurses Association, Personnel Management and Health department is supposed to look at pay increases, a work value study to be conducted on all nurses throughout the country and it calls for an establishment of a housing committee.
He said they had written to the department and submitted a proposal to the Health Department to start the work value study in January this year but it never eventuated.
“I must make it very clear that PNGNA has followed all processes and procedures,” he said.
“We have written to the industrial registrar to hold a secret ballot. Until now, we have not got a response from industrial registrar’s office.”
He said they met Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari in July who said they were working on a schedule for implementation.
“They gave us an assurance that due to the current financial situation, they would draw up a schedule for the implementation process,” he said. The National
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