Harmon joins Linden nurses on strike

………………Ministry of Health deems strike illegal

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, on Saturday, has reassured striking nurses of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), that they have his support in their long haul strike, for the removal of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rudolph Small. He was joined by his Parliamentary colleague, Annette Ferguson. This was just after the Ministry of Health released a statement, deeming the strike illegal and warning the nurses that negotiations between the Ministry of Labour and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), will not continue unless they call off the strike. “The Ministry of Health says the strike by nurses at the Linden Hospital Complex is illegal and must be called off before negotiations about the future of the Chief Executive Officer, Rudy Small can resume,” the statement said.

 On Thursday, a conciliation meeting was called by the Ministry of Labour, which aimed at deciding on a Terms of Resumption from the strike. Harmon however assured the nurses that their actions are legal and this is being registered by GPSU. “You are on the front line and therefore anything that affects you, affects us all, anything that affects your right to work, anything that affects the environment in which you work, is something that we will stand on your side,” he said.

The Opposition Leader argued that women and frontline workers should not feel violated at their place of work.  “We have to ensure that we don’t have people occupying your space that is violating you, so this CEO here that is occupying your space and violating your integrity has no right to be here, he has to go and that is a position that we have taken and I came up this morning to say one thing, that I support you that the APNU-AFC supports you, that we stand behind you foot to foot,” he said.

Harmon presented a monetary donation to the nurses to support their struggle and they vowed to continue until Small is removed.