The Ministry of Labour late yesterday afternoon secured a 28-day injunction from the Supreme Court of Jamaica to prevent industrial action by the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA).
The JMDA had signalled its intention to work to rule, effective 4 p.m. yesterday.
A release from the labour ministry stated that any action to disrupt the health services would be adverse to the national interest, hence a decision to seek the injunction.
Members of the JMDA voted to take industrial action during an emergency meeting held Thursday night.
The decision was made after the doctors rejected the Government's latest wage offer for the 2008-2010 period.
At the centre of the dispute is the rate at which doctors are being paid to work overtime hours.
But according to Dr Andrew Salmon, president of the JMDA, the overtime rate for doctors is lower than what is stipulated by law.
By law, the payment for each hour of overtime should be calculated at a rate of 1.5 times the amount paid for each regular work-hour.
The doctors say for more than 10 years, the overtime rate for doctors was being calculated at 1.15, five times the amount paid for each regular work-hour.
At a press conference called yesterday, health minister Rudyard Spencer said the Government could not afford to pay the doctors at this time.
Spencer said outstanding amounts for the emergency incentive allowance and the rostered duty allowance amounted to $912 million.
"We have said to the doctors to hold strain, we will look at it later on, but in no way, shape or form can the Government of Jamaica at this time accommodate such claims," said Spencer.
Proposal
The health minister said he instructed the permanent secretary, Dr Grace Allen-Young, and chief medical officer, Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, to submit a proposal on how to compensate doctors when they worked extra hours.
According to Spencer, doctors who are rostered to work get an allowance whether or not they work.
"I think the time is fast coming when the ministry will have to look at these allowances and form a new strategy in dealing with these allowances, since it is the bone of contention since we cannot arrive at any agreement," said Spencer.
The JMDA, formerly called the Junior Doctors Association, represents some 800 doctors below the rank of consultants.
Meanwhile, the health ministry yesterday activated its emergency protocol, as the threat of industrial action loomed.
Campbell-Forrester said only emergency cases would be seen at health facilities across the island.
She also stated that consultants would take over and carry out service delivery for the emergency care and, where possible, additional services would be accessed privately.
petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com