Overtime Restrictions for Healthcare Workers are Removed

A few weeks ago, there was a countrywide walkout by nurses from public health institutions as they protested poor working conditions and salary deductions. In some cases, there were also issues surrounding pension. Cooler heads prevailed after the Minister of Health and Wellness met with the Nurses Association of Belize, as well as the ministries of Labour and Finance. On Tuesday, Cabinet approved for the removal of overtime restrictions for healthcare workers in an effort to improve the terms of service and timeliness of payment of overtime to healthcare workers. Here’s Prime Minister John Briceño with a brief comment.

Prime Minister John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“When we di celebrate twenty-seven years of dedication and service to our people. I think that’s what we need to remember, not that they walked out. As I said earlier in my speech, we commend them because they made their point and quickly went back to work and I think that is what we need to remember. That the dedication that the staff, the nurses, the doctors, even the cleaners, the maintenance – there are so many moving parts – that make Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital a success and to have daily miracles in this place, it is out lord one. But we have approximately seven hundred Belizeans working here every single day, dedication – blood sweat and tears – and love for what they do.”