‘Pay overdue entitlements’

The National Main Stories

By LULU MARK
PAPUA New Guinea Nurses Association vice-president Esther Pisoro wants the Government to implement the 2021-2023 salaries and allowances for nursing officers.
Pisoro made the call following the death of eight nurses from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the National Capital District (NCD) which was causing much anxiety and stress among the nursing fraternity in the country.
Pisoro said many more in the provinces had passed on from Covid-19 and the association would come up with a list.
“We are at the frontline in this Covid-19 pandemic response looking after the sick. When we fall sick, contract Covid-19, who will look after us?
“We have reached pay 22 of this year without it while nurses continue to serve in the frontline without risk allowances or being insured,” Pisoro said.
The 2021-2023 salaries and allowances is an industrial agreement signed between the PNG Nurses Association (PNA) and the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) last Aug 25.
PNA president Frederick Kebai acknowledged health authorities and hospitals such as the Port Moresby General Hospital that had implemented the awards, but said it was not fully implemented.
“We have been referred from the Health Department to DPM and PHAs (provincial health authorities) and the year is ending,” he said.
“The holdup needs to be cleared.”
Kebai said on behalf of its 4,000 members, a letter was written to DPM and an answer was expected today without which a protest would be held.
Health Minister Jelta Wong told The National that he had met with the nurses’ council about the outstanding wage structure and added that DPM should reply to it.
DPM secretary Taies Sansan said: “My office did receive a copy
of their letter in October.
“They wrote to Finance and Treasury on the payment of their outstanding entitlements in the 2021-2023 awards which we signed off early in the
year.
“The matter is still pending with Finance,” Sansan said.
The awards that was supposed to be implemented on Jan 1, includes:

  • A SPECIAL domestic allowance of K5,000 per annum awarded to specialist nurses who have double certificates (to be paid on a fortnightly basis);
  • A CONSOLIDATED clinical allowance increase by 5 per cent for all nurses;
  • UNIFORM allowance increased from K22 to K50 fortnightly for all nurses (not paid to those who are issued with uniforms);
  • POTENTIAL risk allowance increased to K75 to start;
  • SPECIALIST allowance for mental health and psychiatric duties increased to K200 fortnightly for all psychiatric nurses.
  • SHIFT arrangements and payments – allowance at a hourly rate of 25 per cent (straight shift) and three shifts at 30 per cent; and,
  • TEACHING institutional allowance increase effective Jan 1, 2022.

All other clinical allowances to be paid to all principals and schools of nursing, including those at the universities, to be implemented on Jan 1, 2022.