Good news for Filipino nurses as Supreme Court (SC) has finally scheduled an oral argument regarding the implementation of Salary Grade 15 for government nurses.
“One step closer to full implementation of Salary Grade 15,” said Ang Nars Partylist, the nurse advocacy group which questioned the legality of reducing the nurse’s pay scale in public healthcare institutions.
Ang Nars received an advisory from SC PIO that the Oral Arguments will be held on Feb. 26, 2019 at 2:00 pm.
In January 2015, Ang Nars filed a Petition for Certiorari and Mandamus in the high cour asking for the full implementation of Section 32 of Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. The law states that the minimum base pay of nurses working in the public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade 15.
Based on Fourth Tranche of Salary Standardization Law (SSL) of 2015 which will be implemented this 2019, the Salary Grade 15 for civilian personnel of the national government and in first class provinces and cities is at P30,531.
Joint resolution No. 4 series of 2009, however, was issued by Congress, allowing then President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to modify the compensation and position classification of civilian personnel as well as the base pay of the uniformed personnel.
Arroyo then signed Executive Order No. 811 which among others, reduced the base pay of nurses from salary grade 15 to salary grade 11 while the entry base pay is salary grade 10.
Among the issues to be debated on the Supreme Court is whether Joint Resolution No. 4 has repealed Section 32 of the Nursing Act.
Joining the party-list group in its petition is the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation headed by Annie Geron.
Named respondents are the Executive Secretary, Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Health.
Ang Nars is enjoining all nurses to support their battle for higher pay scale in the Supreme Court.
“This is a groundbreaking event as VERY FEW PETITIONS are allowed to have oral arguments. We are asking for everyone’s support as we will be organizing a MASS MOBILIZATION ON FEB 26 in front of the Supreme Court. NURSES, we need to raise public clamor for this momentous day,” the group posted on Facebook. (with reports from Inquirer.net)
