The St Vincent Opposition Leader is demanding that the government reinstate the 5% supplemental income for nurses starting from January of this year.
This payment, Ralph Gonsalves says was previously announced by the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government, and was intended for nurses, nursing assistants, and nursing aids.
The following points were made regarding this 5% supplement:
Financial Benefit: According to calculations cited by Gonsalves, a staff nurse at the midpoint of the salary scale (Grade H) would be better off by $2,268 under the ULP’s plan which includes the 5% supplemental income, tax relief, and a separate 5% salary increase—compared to the $2,000 proposed by the NDP.
Current Non-Payment: Gonsalves criticized the current administration for the non-payment of this supplementary income, noting that the issue has been raised previously without resolution.
Reiteration of Data: The opposition leader emphasized that the numbers provided by “Camilo” (referring to a previous presentation) are accurate and demonstrate that nurses would have a higher net benefit under the previous administration’s plan.