Junior doctors restive, JMDA warns of taking ‘measures’ to press IDT on delayed overtime pay ruling

There could be disruptions in the public health system as the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) says junior doctors are restive, and that the association is prepared to step up its action to register its frustration with the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) over the lack of a ruling in the long-running dispute with the Ministry of Health over overtime and incentive payments.

The JMDA has been waiting for months for the IDT to make a decision.

The association has been pressing the IDT to make an award of $31 billion in back money for overtime, while the Government’s calculation for retroactive overtime payment for the doctors is $23 billion.

When the JMDA made its submission to the IDT earlier this year, trade unionist Lambert Brown, who represented the doctors, argued that they were forced to work way beyond their specific shifts at times, noting that the Government’s 15-hour-per-week overtime policy, if applied to doctors, could lead to chaos in the public health sector.

He told the IDT that doctors were currently being paid 2021 overtime rates.

Earlier this month, the JMDA stated that it would give the IDT more time to hand down a decision, while expressing frustration with the long delay.

Now, the association today reported that its members have voted to pass a resolution authorising the JMDA Executive to escalate measures.

“This resolution is in response to the unreasonable delay in the handing down of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal’s (IDT) ruling. These measures may include, but are not limited to, significant disruption of services,” the association said in a statement on Thursday.

The JMDA is asserting that asking junior doctors to be working at the 2021 rate of pay for overtime hours is exploitative.

“We are tired of this injustice of being forced to work at the 2021 rates. The financial demands of 2026 are not those of 2021.”

The JMDA is demanding that the IDT act.

“This dispute has been ongoing for 3 ½ years and has been before the IDT for 1 ½ years. It must be resolved expeditiously.

“Our doctors are restive. The JMDA cannot guarantee normalcy within the health sector.”

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