Nurses to stage strike if majority agree

“Yes, they will go ahead if majority of the nurses sign the secret ballot to stage a strike.”

This was the response from Fiji Nursing Association’s General Secretary Salanieta Matiavi when Fijivillage asked her today on whether the nurses will walk out of the hospitals next month considering the fact that nursing is one the most noble professions where its said that they work unconditionally and with love.

We asked her on whether the nurses will leave the patients, knowing that they are there to care for the patients.

Matiavi says the feedback from yesterday’s roadshow with the Minister for Economy was not good enough.

Matiavi had said yesterday that nurses are confused as to what is the actual salary increase under the new contracts that they are signing and their union says the likelihood for nurses to go on a strike is a strong possibility.

Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has already said that the salary and the increase is stated in the individual contracts of the civil servants.

There are over 2,000 nurses in the country and 1,500 nurses are members of the Fiji Nursing Association.