Hospital employees feel intimidated by the management of Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital, which led them to walk out for an hour on Tuesday morning. This occurred under the guidance of the ABV union, led by Gina Maduro.
The morning began with a meeting at 8:00 am between the ABV union and its members, who ultimately decided to engage in a one-hour action.
Gina Maduro, president of ABV, explained that last year they signed a new Collective Labor Agreement (CAO), which includes a 30-minute break during the worker’s shift. This is in addition to the work schedule. So, if the morning shifts usually end by 3:00 PM, they now end at 3:30 PM.
From the start, it was known that this would become a problem because there isn’t enough staff to maintain services, and there aren’t adequate provisions (no place to eat).
The operating room department sent two letters, one to the union and the other to the management, explaining their concerns. They explained that for the staff to take a break, the department would have to stop functioning. Already, every day, operations have to be postponed.
After sending the letter, management called in those who signed it. They demanded that the workers withdraw the letter. They felt intimidated. They withdrew the letter but not the last line stating that they would not cooperate with the commission. They were called in again and told that if they didn’t retract, there would be consequences. Yesterday afternoon, the entire management approached those working in the operating room “to intimidate them and if they don’t rectify it by Tuesday noon, it will be considered a breach of contract,” Maduro explained.
All those under the concerned departments amount to about 60 people. They fear that this might be done to bring more Dutch people from the Netherlands.
They admit that many good things are happening in the hospital, which is all made possible by the local team who are now being threatened.
Security is also a concern for them. A wall collapsed last week, and cinder blocks fell in the ultrasound room, onto a chair. Luckily, no one was inside that room at the time.
“The hospital’s priority is skewed. There are so many things wrong, instead of intimidating workers, it’s better to ensure worker safety.”
