Nurses at the Frederick Miller Polyclinic, The Glebe, St George, will not be going back to work until proper security measures are in place, said general secretary of Unity Workers Union, Caswell Franklyn.
Franklyn, who said his union represented the majority of polyclinic nurses, stated that they arrived for work this morning to find a single security officer.
“After the slap at Randal Phillips Polyclinic and the two men trying to kick down the door where the nurses were getting briefed at Frederick Miller Polyclinic the very next day, we want better security – one guard is not adequate,” he said.
Franklyn said they were also seeking handheld metal detectors to be utilised until the large security scanners could be put in place.
“We don’t want our nurses to get hurt or, God forbid, killed on the job. You go to work and expect to return to your families and not via Two Sons,” he said.
Last week, nurse at Randal Phillips Polyclinic Hyacinth Green was attacked by a parent following an interaction involving his child. This was followed by another incident the next day at Frederick Miller Polyclinic when patients banged on a door to a room where nurses were holding a meeting.
As a result, nurses walked off the job and have received support from the National Union of Public Workers; the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados, the Barbados Nurses Association and the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners. (CA)
