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  • 7 hours ago
The Trinidad and Tobago National Nurses Association is hitting back against WASA's hiring of so-called social media influencers and others in the wake of the general election.

President Idi Stuart notes, these practices take resources away from those who need and deserve it most, and he also laments that some of the persons in question had been speaking ill of nurses who are fighting for their just due. Rynessa Cutting has more.
Transcript
00:00Coming on the social media platform and influencing people to talk bad against nursing and midfee personnel and teachers and
00:09communication workers and EPA and all of the other unions who are lobbying continuously as we have done before under
00:19the last government.
00:21You're coming to wash your mouth on nursing and midfee personnel.
00:25So we don't deserve some of the fat checks you get into.
00:30Suffice it to say, Nurses Association President Edie Stewart is beyond peeved in light of a recent report highlighting a
00:38number of social media influencers who were hired at WASA for reported salaries between $8,000 and $12,000.
00:47Nursing is not no make-work. The role of enrolled nursing assistants and patient care assistants and registered nurses and
00:54registered mental nurses and district health visitors is not make-work.
00:58Look, you need those jobs. I guess. Anyway, let me just cool myself a little bit here.
01:08But Stewart says the real issue is with the government, which he says has seen it fit to deny resources
01:14to legitimate workers.
01:16NCRHA, which is 400 plus nurses short. So you have one organization that is short of 400 plus personnel to
01:28properly and safely deliver care.
01:31So you need to hire 400 plus persons, but you go and hire 400 plus persons in another institution that
01:39is already overstaffed.
01:40So we must appreciate that and we must understand some of these dynamics because all of this, this, this legalized
01:51corruption, some persons would call it patronage, political patronage.
01:56It does a number of things, you know. It does a number of things. Yes, it puts money in the
02:04pockets of a few, but it denies the ability to direct resources where it ought to go, where it really
02:12and truly ought to go.
02:14A number of the personalities have taken to social media to justify their employment with the authority and provide information
02:22on their duties and functions.
02:25Meantime, one such person uploaded a satirical video with so-called proof of his qualifications.
02:31All these papers here is my qualifications. Yeah? English. I have a one. In maths, I also have a one.
02:55I have a one. I have a degree in Spanish. I'm also a two in social studies.
03:03Well, quit messing up my name, please. I am more than qualified.
03:09Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
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