The five interdicted morgue attendants at the Mandeville Regional Hospital are to be paid three-quarters of their salary while on suspension, instead of the half pay which was initially announced.

This was the only concession made by Health Minister Rudyard Spencer during a meeting yesterday with officials of the Jamaica Workers' Union (JWU), which represents the workers.

Body disappears

The five were ordered suspended by Spencer after he reviewed an initial report into the disappearance of the body of a new-born from the morgue.

The decision angered the union, which argued that the five were being made scapegoats for what was a systemic problem.

Yesterday, the union made its case for the reinstatement of the workers during a meeting with Spencer and officials of the health ministry.

But the union accepted that the suspension should stand. The acceptance came as a result of Spencer's argument that the sensitive nature of the investigation meant it would be best that the affected workers remained off the job while investigations were in progress.

No assumption of guilt

Clifton Brown, president of the JWU, accepted that the workers should remain off the job on the basis that it was not an assumption of guilt, but rather would facilitate the sensitive investigation.

It was also agreed that the investigation would be conducted in an expeditious manner, so as to minimise any financial trauma to the affected workers.

Brown said the union would be meeting with workers of the Mandeville Regional Hospital today to inform them of the outcome of yesterday's meeting and to decide on a course of action.