There was some internal rustling today in the Ministry of Health that resulted in the immediate transfer of two officers.
Reports to the PSU are that a Senior Financial Officer and another staffer were transferred this morning in a dispute about a PSU shirt, among other things:
Dean Flowers, First Vice President - PSU
"What he did this morning is very unbecoming of anybody that should consider themselves a medical officer or adviser to the government. He kicked two public officers, as I understand it - out of their office, saying to them - based on the instructions of the minister - clear your desk and go home! The officer, I understand, one of the officers said look, I cannot just leave my post - I need a letter. And he said well there is none for you, the minister said clear your desk and go home."
"The officers did vacate. One of the officers had already had a letter, Jules, which was sent to him prior to this incident today. That officer was scheduled to be transferred on Monday, so that officer, today would have been his, his last day so he had no difficulty leaving. But the other officer was attacked, was attacked for wearing a yellow shirt, because, his words, this medical officer-slash-technical advisor, his words today to her was the audacity you have to come to work in yellow, shirt, to resist 10% cut, and now di eat da yu desk - berating the officer. The officer picked up, cleared her desk, went home. I got whiffed of the situation I reached out to the officer, and I said go back to work, the minister cannot send you home, and certainly no technical advisor could send you home. You have effectively just now, in a sense abandoned your post because the ministry of public service is the only ministry that can serve a transfer on you, or can attempt to dismiss you. So the officer returned to work this afternoon, as instructed, and I understand latest information is that she has received a letter effectively transferring her, I believe the 30th of this month."
"On the FO side, a senior FO, 25 - 27 years in the system, she was approached this morning also, not by the so called advisor, but this time by the minister and the CEO, I understand, and she was accused of, of not giving them the kind of respect and regard that they would want from her and I think there was a conversation surrounding her, a request for their budged numbers. And the officer rightfully responded respectfully to them to say, it's difficult to construct a budget when, when there is no consultation within the ministry, they are bringing in advisors upon advisors, they're dismissing people, they're hiring aides, so these things affect any budget. So there was a conversation there and then the minister, ahm, instructed the FO, or informed the FO, that, ah, he is effectively ensuring that she be transferred to the ministry of Immigration."
"He wanted her to vacate the office immediately. I am pleased to report that that FO resisted, she remained in her pot and she informed that minister the minister that unless the ministry of the public service sends a transfer letter to her she is not going anywhere. So I think it's important that we understand the kind of abuse that this administration is effecting on public officers, the same kind of abuse and political interference that they accused the Barrow Administration of. The exact same kind, they are no different."
We did ask the Minister for comment on this and he asked, "are you serious" suggesting that he found the remarks by Dean Flowers preposterous.
