Health workers, Duque meet over unpaid benefits
MANILA, Philippines — Health worker groups took up the matter of unpaid benefits and long hours of work when they met with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for the first time since the pandemic began last year.
Representatives from Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), hospital unions, the Filipino Nurses United and the Solidarity of Health Advocates and Personnel for a Unified Plan to Defeat COVID-19, met with Duque and other health officials by video conference for about three hours on Monday.
The AHW said Duque met with them after Malacañang endorsed their request for a dialogue with President Duterte. Duque reportedly promised to ask the Department of Budget and Management to provide the P16-billion budget for the special risk allowance and active hazard duty pay provided under the Bayanihan 2 law.
He also promised to fast-track the payment of meal, transportation and accommodation allowances due last year and the performance-based bonuses pending since 2018.
The groups also told Duque that health workers were not provided with enough personal protective equipment and reiterated the urgency of mass hiring of regular health workers.
