Two weeks ago we showed you the press conference from the KHMH Union. They were objecting to an amendment of the KHMH Act which GOB had taken to the house the previous Friday. The purpose of that amendment was to remove the union representative from the board of governors and replace him or her with an NTUCB representative. The KHMH Union flatly rejected that and made a direct appeal to the Prime Minister. On Friday November 1st the Union president reported to his members that the government had a change of heart and would pull back the bill.
But it seems that minister of Health Kevin Bernard didn't get that memo. He was traveling and simply didn't know, so when we spoke to him today he said if the union has objections to the bill, they should bring it up at the house committee. He did this not knowing they had already taken it higher than that, to the prime Minister's office:
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness
"That document that amendment had gone to the house, I had introduced the bill to the house. It was our hope and view that the KHMH union members or whoever had any concerns would have gone to the House committee meeting to make whatever position they wanted to. There are many reasons why and I thank you for the opportunity to talk about this, but there are many reasons why we felt at the ministry that..."
"Remember the KHMH Union represents the workers and they are right now they have been tasked. In fact the union representative who sits on the board - I will not go through my own personal perception reviews of Mr. Baird - that's outside of this, has been given umpteen times to come up with a CBA that would best approach the issues that the workers and the employees of KHMH that fall under the union have been clamoring for. We have not gotten a single document to propose to the board. Yes an updated CBA because they were going to, They were to present a CBA, a collective bargaining agreement that will best address many issues that they have raised over the years."
And while the minister is taking shots at the president of the union he also portrayed their representative as an obstructionist on the board of governors.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Sometimes there are a lot of issues with the member. It's not necessarily the member, but conflicts that the board makes decisions and then he goes and says something else, is not a healthy relationship."
"It's not that he will be changed out. It is not us to, the KHMH union suggests a member. I am the minister of health who appoints members to the KHMH governing body then they make their suggestions and if we feel that these suggestions that they are suggesting, I have received a letter that Mr Alain Gonzalez Is now going to be their representative to the board however I have not made any appointment of that nature as yet because we are at the process where we are making an amendment. I personally feel that the best approach is to put a member appointed by the NTUCB but who is not a member of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Union. There's many reasons for that. It's to avoid conflict. It's to avoid, and to also ensure that there is wide representation from the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, (they) will also have a better voice, not only for the union members, but for every employee that works under the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital."
After that interview He called one of our colleagues and told them that he learned that indeed the amendment would be pulled back. So the compromise is: the union will recommend two persons and the board will decide who to nominate.
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