GWU demands meeting

The General Workers' Union has requested an urgent meeting with the director general of health to discuss the situation with regard to nursing aides.

The union said it had been officially informed that the director general of health did not object to nursing aides working on a 46 and 2/3 hour roster per week. However, it said, they had not yet been given this right and although the roster was based on a 40-hour week they were still staying at their place of work for 46 and 2/3 hours.

Although nursing aides were still being denied this roster, the union said, the latest batch of nurses, who were taken in last September, were already enjoying a 46 and 2/3 hour shift. The GWU was also insisting on the reopening of the nursing aides course since the health policy board had accepted that this should be reopened. The last course was held in 1996 and the shortage of nursing aides was "alarming".

The union will be holding a meeting for the aides on Tuesday at 7 p.m.