THE salary and labor dispute unfolding at the Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) has disintegrated into a socio-economic crises as some employees at PSMI West End Hospital have reportedly spent the past two nights without going to their homes owing to delays in payment of salaries.
By HealthTimes Correspondent
To date PSMI employees’ salaries are still in arrears and majority are yet to receive their June salaries and some employees who spoke to this publication yesterday indicated that they are yet to pay their June rentals as well as meet their obligations at home. A visit by this publication to the PSMI West End Hospital yesterday was met by a sombre atmosphere as visibly weary workers were camped at the facility with some indicating that they would stay put until their salary has been addressed.
We are camped here and we are likely to continue tonight as well. As of now, we have received communication that there is money that came through from PSMAS and has been transferred into the PSMI account. However, we hear that the money that has come will only cover the junior management payroll for what they were owed excluding July payroll and will only pay 44% from what they owe employees from the June salaries,” said one of the employees who requested anonymity.
The employees added that they have handed over the matter to the workers union, represented by Lawyer, Mr Michael Sambo and his team to handle the labour matter. The employees indicated that they were now incapacitated to continue rendering services due to the challenges they are facing and they demanded a roundtable with the PSMI leadership.
“As employees, we want our June salaries to be paid in full and we also want our salaries for June to pain in full. That is our position and this money should be paid in accordance with the rate we would have agreed on judging by the prevailing inflation.
“We are no longer negotiating with our employer as an organisation but our union will speak for us from today going forward. We are therefore continuing with whatever we have been doing to show that we are incapacitated until our issues are fixed.”
Medical Professionals and Allied Workers Union representative, Mr Mike Sambo has since written to the PSMI Managing Director indicating the sorry state of affairs and lack of morale in the employees’ camp.
“We write to confirm that our office was yesterday inundated with calls from many PSMI employees from various units raising issues on the much escalated problems they face as a result of delayed salaries viz inflation. We therefore decided to visits PSMI West End Hospital where we found a very pathetic situation whereby employees have decided to peacefully camp at the hospital as they choose not to dace their starving children and over compromised landlords,” said Sambo.
He added that the camping was not a form of demonstration but rather a manifestation of failure to meet hardships at home.
