Nurses and other healthcare workers are clamoring for a response from concerned authorities regarding the constantly delayed salaries and other promised benefits including hazard pay and special risk allowances.
Maristella Abenojar, president of Filipino Nurses United, expressed disappointment at the “unjust” treatment of health workers.
“Two to three months delayed in salary is really unjust. Hindi na ho ito makatarungan,” Abenojar said.
“Their families are starving, they are getting ill, and yet they are not compensated. What’s the reason (for the delay)?,” she added.
[ Two to three months delayed in salary is really unjust. This is not fair anymore.]
“Sana, wag na nila kaming hintayin pa na gumawa pa ng mas iba pang drastic actions. Mahihirapan po kayo pag kami po ang nawala sa inyong serbisyo, o kung kami ang magkasakit at magkulang ang personnel sa mga hospital. Kaya sana naman po, pakinggan po niyo na kami,” she stressed.
[I hope they don’t wait for us to do other drastic actions. It will be difficult for you if we come out of service, or if we get sick and there’s shortage of personnel in hospitals. So I hope you hear us.]
Last week, a Senate hearing unveiled that more than 16,000 medical frontliners have yet to receive the hazard pay allocated for them under the now-expired Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
The group reiterated this call as they respond to the government’s latest move allowing 5,000 health workers to leave and work abroad per year. FNU said the yearly cap on overseas deployment is not the solution for medical personnel to want to remain in the country— but rather the delivery of timely salary and compensation.
