Nurses and doctors ink MoA with depts

By ALISON ANIS
DOCTORS and nurses are to get a 45% increase in salaries and allowances.
This will be back-dated to Jan 1 this year, a memorandum of agreement they have signed with the state says.
Representatives of unions for the two professions signed the agreement with the Department of Personnel Management and the Department of Health.
Two sets of agreements, one for nurses and the other for doctors, were signed last Friday at the Golden Bowl restaurant between secretary for Health Dr Clement Malau and DPM secretary John Kali and the presidents of the two unions.
The signing, much to the relief of National Doctors Association president Dr Kauve Pomat and PNG Nurses Association president Eimi Kaptigau, paves the way for the implementation of 45% increase for doctors while nurses will receive almost the same, although no figures were given.
The government had approved significant progressive increases to the salaries and contractual allowances which had been factored into the 2011 budget.
The new awards will be implemented over a three-year period back-dated to Jan 1 this year.
The agreement contained negotiated pay increases in addition to the 7.5% increase for public servants agreed to by the Public Employees Association (PEA).
Kali said the government recognised the difficulties faced by health workers, particularly nurses, in rural areas.
“One of the biggest problems in the past is signing and not implementing. I can assure that my staff have been directed to pay particular attention to health sector,” Kali said.