Coombes: LPNs deserve fair compensation

Halifax--NDP Labour spokesperson Kendra Coombes made the following statement regarding pay equity for licensed practical nurses:

“If there were any Nova Scotians who did not understand the importance of nurses before the pandemic, they do now. COVID-19 has further exposed what has long been known by LPNs, their families, patients and supporters: our frontline health care workers are invaluable. We know they deserve to be properly compensated, and that their demands in the workplace represent what is needed to keep us all safe and healthy.

Inequities in pay and workplace demands across facilities and regions of the province are not only unfair, they can be damaging to our health care system. Lower pay risks worsening recruitment and retention issues in long-term care, or in underserved regions like Cape Breton. This is problematic at the best of times, and outright dangerous as we face a possible second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the government really understands the importance of essential workers, it must act accordingly and support Nova Scotia’s LPNs as they demand fairness in their workplace.”

On June 22, Coombes sent letters urging the Minister of Health and Wellness and the Minister of Labour to take action on this issue.

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