Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer has expressed his delight that the health sector job evaluation and reclassification exercise has been completed. The Minister was speaking at a meeting involving health sector groups at the Ministry of Finance this morning (Tuesday, February 9, 2010), where the document was circulated along with the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) ruling in the matter of the Nurses Association of Jamaica and the Ministries of Health and Finance.

“This represents the hard work that you have put in. I am happy that the long awaited reclassification exercise is now complete. This is a step in the right direction as we have been at pains to correct the ills of the health sector. I want to thank the groups for the tremendous work that you have been doing under trying circumstances,” he told the gathering.

A panel consisting of persons from the Ministries of Health and Finance, the Cabinet office and a union representative is to be set up and will manage questions and comments from the groups, who were urged to review the document. The panel will be in place over the next four weeks.

Minister Spencer says the matter will now be taken to Cabinet and an implementation date will be decided at that level. He said the groups will shortly be advised of this.

“I am very serious about not doing anything to derail what we have done. Most of you have been tolerant and patient and I thank you. I am not going to cater to any one group as this is a health sector-wide exercise and I intend to treat it in that way,” he pointed out.

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Contact: MOH, Public Relations Unit Tel: 967-1561