By Staff Writer
Scenes from the doctors last strike along heart of Apia about 15 years ago.
The Public Service Commission is meeting with the Samoa Medical Association early tomorrow morning, Friday 29. June 2023, in a ‘last minute’ attempt to avoid a doctors strike at the weekend.
The doctors have already set a 12.00 mid-day deadline on Friday pending a PSC response to delay the starting date for the new salary scale for the Health Ministry due to become effective Saturday 1 July 2023.
The doctors ultimatum was agreed on by the Association last Tuesday following a meeting with the Health Ministry administration executive.
It called on the PSC for a 3-6 months delay to allow for review of issues under dispute.
Both sides have been since been tied up in meetings of their own all week to review their position on the issues.
The Friday meeting will be the first time the two sides will sit down again inside the week to try and reach an understanding.
Basic salaries and overtime entitlements are at the heart of the differences between the parties and how they are applied under public service and labour regulations.
Doctors are prepared for an 8.00am-4.00pm work to rule from Monday – Friday with a total shutdown in the weekends except for emergencies and serious patients.
The misunderstanding is closely tied to the separation in 2006 of the National Health Services from the Ministry of Health until it re-merged 12 years later in 2018