Nurses strike goes on as health authorities miss meeting

The strike of over 5,000 nurse in government hospital and clinics is entering into its fourth day after health authorities were no shows at meeting.

Representatives of the nureses went with a new proposal to present to authorities of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Social Security Fund (CSS) in Clayton, on Thursday April 25,but the government negotiaters were no shows so the work stoppage continues.

They had expected to meet with the Minister of Health, Javier Diaz, and the director of the CSS, Guillermo Sanz-Llorens, but they were not around
So the union leaders were unable to present their new proposals and returned to the guild hall on Avenida Justo Arosemena where they called a general assembly.
The nurses did not deliver the document because they want an official communication from the government when negotiations begin and to set a timetable for the various meetings.
Elidya Espinosa, president of the National Nurses Association of Panama (ANEP), told Prensa.com that they wanted present a new wage proposal in which it withdrew earlier demands but still called for a serious salary increase .
"We will not say that pay underpins our proposal because they vented in all media. So we shifted gears and when they sit at the negotiating table the points will arise."
She said that "Nurses do not want to end the strike until they define a date and have the provision that will settle all the points that are being included in the proposal.”
The withdrawal of nurses is approved until Friday, April 26 when the decision will be made whether or not to continue the suspension of labor.
The nurses did not deliver the document because they want an official communication from the government when negotiations begin and to set a timetable for the various meetings.