OVERRELIANCE ON SUPPLY CONTRACTS INSULTS WORKERS & PUTS PUBLIC SERVICES AT RISK

Together Gibraltar are deeply concerned by reports that newly graduated nursing students are being placed on short-term contracts as nursing assistants rather than staff nurse positions they have been trained for.

Historically, upon completing their training, these student nurses have been guaranteed an interview to work as a staff nurse on a full-time basis. Together Gibraltar’s sources have confirmed that these nurses are not being offered an interview despite the desperate need for more nurses in our GHA.

Under this GSLP government, more and more workers are finding themselves on short-term contracts. This leaves workers with poor job security, no career progression, and a lack of basic benefits like annual leave or sick leave. This unfair treatment is a gross insult to our healthcare workers, who gave so much for Gibraltar during the very difficult pandemic years.

This unfair treatment of nurses is also putting patients at risk as the GHA can no longer guarantee quality or continuity of care. This reliance on unstable employment and a lack of continuity planning is seeing seasoned nurses retire with no one to pass their knowledge on to. This greedy, short-sighted approach by the GSLP is creating a worse health service for all of us. Together Gibraltar calls on the government to explain this decision and whether these nurses will be offered interviews for full-time posts.

This concerning trend isn't limited to healthcare alone. Together Gibraltar is also receiving alarming accounts from teachers about an overreliance on supply and zero-hour contracts. Some full-time teachers are still on supply contracts five years into their career: leaving them unable to move out of their parents’ home, or start a family. The postal service has also been reliant on workers who have been stuck on a supply-work basis for years with no right to annual leave or sick leave.

Together Gibraltar fervently believes in the dignity of work and the significance of stable employment. We advocate for a Gibraltar where workers, the backbone of our society, are treated with the respect and fairness they have earned. We advocate for a safer healthcare system where patients and their carers can rely on continuity of care.

It is high time the government reassess its employment strategies to ensure that every individual is provided with the fair opportunities and stability they deserve. Together Gibraltar stands firmly with all of our public sector workers. We remain committed to fighting for their rights and for the betterment of our beloved Gibraltar.