The workers at the Psychiatric Center Suriname (PCS) on Wednesday went on strike before assembling in front of the Office of Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk. The strike was suspended after the VP intervened. The patients at the PCS were in good hands because not all of the workers joined the strike. The workers marched to the Office of the VP, because things are not going well within the walls of the PCS. They accused general director Jeetendra Jitan of being a dictator because of his reluctance to talk to his employees. The workers who are fed up with the current situation at their workplace decided to present a petition to the VP. They complained that they are repeatedly told that there is no money and management threatened to freeze their salaries and fire them.
The PCS urgently needs funds to remain operational. The workers explained that a refrigerator and a freezer are needed to store the medicines of the patients. They also complained that the roof is full of holes and that the water finds its way inside whenever it rains because of these holes. The property is also flooded whenever it rains. The workers who have often spotted snakes and rodents on the premises made it clear that they can’t work under these circumstances. They are also upset over the fact that they were told that they would not receive their pay with retroactive effect. The school loans which they were given every year have also been frozen. The workers made it clear that they want another general director because it seems as if the current one does not want to do anything for them. They complained that they must still receive SRD 2,500 as part of their uniform allowance and that the collective labor agreement for 2024 still has not been discussed. The VP who reportedly called Health Minister Amar Ramadhin to instruct him to address these problems assured the workers that these issues would become a thing of the past…[+]