GWU proceed with elderly residence directives

The General Workers’ Union are proceeding with its directives at St. Vincent de Paule, due to staff shortages at the elderly residence.

In a statement, the GWU recounted how the directives had first been imposed in July 2013 after the residence’s authorities had imposed new routines on when staff had to take bed-ridden patients for walks- every morning and afternoon.

“The authorities imposed these new routines without any prior discussion and without observing the situation of the corridors,” the GWU said.   

Due to this lack of discussion, the GWU issued directives to its members- health assistants, nursing aides, care workers, assistant care workers, and social assistants - to only take bed-ridden patients for walks in the afternoon and to refuse to file forms related to such walks. The union had also ordered its members to refuse to take patients with walks through lifters in the case of staff shortages.

“Despite these directives, the authorities have not yet found a way to increase the number of staff in the corridors,” the GWU said. “The directives are still in place and will remain so until the required solutions are found, and the union will not exclude issuing further directives in the near future.”