Just days after signaling a fresh start, new leadership at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority faces its first real test. On Friday, we introduced you to both management and the hospital workers union, who vowed to work together. Now, with collective bargaining talks fast approaching, lines are already being drawn. At the center of the discussions is a proposed twenty percent salary increase from union leaders. The way these talks unfold could have lasting consequences for the nation’s largest hospital. News Five’s Shane Williams has the report.
Shane Williams Reporting…
A new chapter is unfolding at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, one that begins with cautious optimism, but will quickly shift to high-stakes negotiations between management and union leaders. At the center of it all is the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. Union President Roy Briceno says returning to the table is a top priority.
Roy Briceno
Roy Briceno, President, KHMHA0U
“What I am focusing, me and my executive is definitely focusing in going around the table back again, returning back to the table and starting negotiation with the CBA. So that’s primarily, and that’s very important to us and it’s much needed.”
On the other side of the table is Chief Executive Officer Sherine Reyes, who says the overall improvement of the institution remains the broader goal, one that includes both patients and staff.
Sharine Reyes
Sherine Reyes, Chief Executive Officer, KHMH
“We had to submit a plan to the board and it was approved. So there is a plan. That plan is being shared with all the staff. And that’s the reason why, since it’s been a month and since that month, up to today, we’re still discussing that plan with staff. It’s on their unit level, on their directorate level and as a hospital in a whole. And, that plan is to better the institution for both the patient, the people of Belize and our staff.”
And while staff say they support Reyes’s vision, they’re also watching closely as public officers across the country receive back‑to‑back four‑percent salary increases. That comparison is fueling pressure from the KHMH union, which is now pushing for what it calls long‑overdue compensation, especially with no pension plan in place for workers.
Roy Briceno
“We are looking at allowances. We are looking at working conditions. We are looking at raising pay. We’re looking at twenty percent raise for here our staff here at KHMH, knowing that we don’t have a pension. The government raised their government workers twice, four percent of last year and four percent this year. So we’re looking at a twenty percent compensation or raise in pay.”
Reyes acknowledges the expectations surrounding her leadership but says progress will require balance not simply agreeing to every demand.
Sherine Reyes
“ You mentioned in the beginning that I was the staff favorite. One of the reasons you can not be the favorite by only saying yes, Yes. People also have to see that you’re willing to put in the work, number one, and that you lead by integrity. You have to have, you can’t say yes to everything.”
She emphasizes the need to simultaneously improve working conditions and benefits for staff while improving quality of service and care at the country’s most visited hospital.
Sherine Reyes
“We have our short comings. We plan on working on that shortcoming with our staff, we plan on giving them the necessary training. We plan on taking the recommendations of the public. Since you are the ones that are using this institution, we plan on making it better, not only for us, but for our future generations.”
There’s goodwill on both sides, but with key demands already on the table, the coming weeks may shape the future of workers at the nation’s main health facility. Shane Williams for News Five.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
Watch the full newscast here:
Post Views: 279
