Modilon nurses stage sit-in protest

NINETY-two registered nurses at the Modilon teaching hospital in Madang staged a sit-in protest yesterday to demand that the hospital management look into their outstanding allowances (DMA).
The nurses wanted the hospital management to fix outstanding discrepancies in their 2006 revised 30% shift allowances and the domestic market allowances.
They claimed that, according to the review all nurses were entitled to the 30% revised structure of 2006 from the 25% of 2000 principal award structure.
The 2000 award was a principal award for all nurses, including the community health workers who broke away from the Nurses Association.
When the Health Department created the grade 5 and 6 salary grades, the nurses’ salary structure went up with few changes like uniform and nursing service allowances.
The nurses claimed that all nurses at other health centres and hospitals  were receiving their 30% shift and DMA.
“If it is an award, then rightfully we deserve to be paid the 30% shift allowances and the DMA all across the board for all nurses,” PNG Nurses Association Madang branch president Sr Elisabeth Wukawa said.
Sr Wukawa said  the hospital workers, ranging from administration staff and seven nursing officers below and above the classification of grade10, were receiving their allowances.
She said many administrative staff were not supposed to receive these allowances.
Sr Wukawa said under the structure, it talked about qualification, experience and specialist were all entitled to DMA and it did not say that the award should be given to only senior officer above
grade 10.
Modilon’s acting chief executive officer Sr Christine Gawi said the demand would be accommodated in the restructure.
“They are asking for 30% across the board but that will not be entertained because it will be addressed by the Personnel Management Department.
“On the DMA, we are looking at the current award and the nurses’ demand will be addressed through the restructure currently in progress,” she said.
Sr Gawi said DMA were awarded in line with the performance of the officers above grade 10 and it was at the discretion of the CEO.
The hospital management was  given until Nov 17 to come up with a  favourable answer.