Capitol waiting for IHWA board to okay compromise pact
The approval of the provincial government’s budget may be delayed further following the refusal of the board of directors of Iloilo Health Workers Association to sign the compromise agreement offered by Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor, a report from the Capitol said.
During the IHWA general assembly, Defensor proposed that the provincial government will pay their hazard pay, subsistence allowance and laundry allowance retroactive to January this year provided that they will waive their claims from the previous years.
More than two-thirds or 356 of the IHWA members signed in favor of the compromise agreement while only 156 refused to accept it.
Provincial Administrator Raul Banias said the compromise agreement has not yet been submitted to the court because of the refusal of the IHWA board to sign it.
The health workers’ claims amounting to about P55 million was included in the annual budget to be endorsed to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for approval.
During yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony, Defensor urged the IHWA members to convince the board to accept the compromise agreement, otherwise he will be constrained to delete the allocation intended for them in the annual budget.
“We cannot wait for them any longer. The different provincial government departments are waiting for the approval of the budget so that they can start working,” Defensor said.
“We need to start improving our hospitals, our vehicles need immediate repair, the salary increase of our employees also depend on the approval of the budget,” he added.
Banias said they are finding ways to meet with the IHWA board this week to resolve the conflict once and for all.
“Hopefully the IHWA board will see the rationale of the compromise agreement,” Banias said.
He added: “They should make a choice, whether they accept the compromise agreement where they could get something or continue with the litigation in court without getting anything.
Banias said the financial package being planned by the governor for the health workers is not just a one-year deal but a long-term one.*
