𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝟮𝟴-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
The Solomon Islands Nurses Association (SINA) has issued a 28-day strike notice to the Government, effective from 4 September to 1 October 2025, citing prolonged dialogue without a satisfactory resolution.
In a statement today, SINA said the decision to move toward industrial action stemmed from what it described as a “simple administrative error” that should have been resolved at the Ministry and divisional level.
The association explained that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the responsible Permanent Secretary and could have been addressed through open consultation and proper arrangements with relevant divisions. However, SINA claims the issue was allowed to escalate unnecessarily, leaving strike action as the only option.
𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙄𝙉𝘼 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚
Background
The Solomon Islands Nursing Association (SINA) Executive served a 28 days strike notice to the Government effective as of 4th September 2025. This was following an ongoing dialogue with the Ministry of Public Service and OPMC without reaching a satisfactory decision over their complaint pertaining the leadership style of the current serving Permanent Secretary of Health. That was carelessly dragged through for almost six months without reaching decisions that has an important footing that will protect national interest and the interest of the nursing profession of the country.
Rationale of Industrial Action.
The reasons that made SINA to issues a notice of industrial action has rooted from a simple administrative decision error that should be amicably resolve at the Ministry and Divisional level under the jurisdictions of responsible PS through an open consultation and arrangements with responsible Divisions but carelessly allowed to escalate further and demand the industrial action to resolve.
This administration decision error involves the interim engagement of the supervising national director of nursing when the post was left vacant early March 2025. This position is the highest position in the nursing cadre that has important responsibilities in representing nurses’ voice in the Senior Executives level, Region and Global nursing professional family. The appointment involves an officer who has not met the prescribed selection criteria as per stated in the position description and also with the purpose which deviated from national and nursing profession interest.
A decision which viewed by SINA as pre-planned with different intention. By way of standard process, when a higher post is vacant the next person should supervise the post, whilst arrangement for recruitment is underway, this has not happened on this case.
This decision was viewed by the Nursing Management Advisory group as;
• Not complying with standard process of engaging officer to supervise high position
• Undermining of the Nursing Cadre’s highest position for a purpose that is not of national interest.
• None alignment with the division’s succession plan and hierarchical structure.
• Undervaluing the long serving senior nurse leaders under the Nursing Division
• None compliance with the Nurses regulatory requirement and the Nurses SoS
Based on the above grounds, the Nursing Management viewed the decision has lacked due diligence, therefore resolve to rectify the decision through Ministry of Public Service PS and later through Public Service Commission through the Chair.
However, the response from the PS Ministry of Public Service and Public Service Commission Chairman were viewed by the Nursing Management Advisory Group has not fully justify what was viewed as a decision that lack due diligence and carelessly ignore the negative consequences that such decision will directly affect the welfare of nurses and will have a spill over effect to Nursing Practice and patient safety. Therefore, have resolved to refer the matter to Solomon Islands Nursing Association (SINA) to challenge the decision under the Union’s jurisdiction.
SINA in due respect to the Government, has no initial intention of resolved to industrial action, given that it was viewed as an administration matter that can be resolved through consultation. Therefore, have choose to use OPMC path. The matter was then presented to OPMC through the Chief of Staff on 23rd April 2025 for a review and validation of the report that should informs the appropriate decision to be taken.
The matter was elevated further to the OPMC Management under the leadership of SSPM and STC. It took almost 4 weeks before they reached the decision that only address one of SINA’s Demand, which is the call to revoke the interim engagement of the supervising national director of nursing. Based on the provided evidence the OPMC management has resolved that the interim engagement was procedurally improper for not complying with the Public Service Regulation and was vetted by the AG -this was effective as 25th May 2025.
Whilst SINA executive acknowledges the decision to revoke the interim supervising National Director of Nursing’s engagement. It was viewed by SINA that the decision to revoke the appointment of the Interim engagement of the supervising National Director of Nursing alone will not fully address the matter of important concern that was brought to the attention of the MPS and OPMC office, therefore still insisted that the government through the OPMC must make efforts to core address the three given demands accordingly
SINA therefore patiently remain committed in having an open dialogue with the OPMC management for the period of another 8 weeks. However, this has not forthcoming as expected and the decision has further unreasonably delayed.
What was aspired during the last 8 weeks of continuous dialogue for the purpose reaching an amicable solution subjected to the initial agreement, has turn out to be a blaming drammer at the OPMC office that causes further delay in reaching a timely decision.
At the best interest of its members and nursing profession SINA has reached the stage where it can no longer overstretch its patience and trust for the Government through the OPMC office for the unreasonable delays and how the issues have been political manipulated that avoid to reach a timely decision. This has resulted to the withdrawal of further dialogue with the government through OPMC as of 27th August 2025 and made SINA executive to resolve to industrial action as an alternate path to take that should allow a more constructive and meaningful dialogue between relevant parties to respond to the three(3) log of demand.
What Triggers the Industrial Action Path.
It was witnessed by SINA that during the period of delays in reaching decision over the three demands, there was a noted continuous harm done to its members and the nursing profession of the country at the watch of those who are responsible. To encounter such actions, SINA have no other options but resolved to its limits in taking industrial actions for the below listed reasons;
I. SINA believed that all appropriated avenues have been exhausted without being heard fully by those who are responsible
II. The standard timeframe to resolve the matter of important concern to SINA and nurses with the intention of protecting national and professional interest within an essential service space has gone beyond expected limits.
III. The unreasonable delay to issue a final decision was viewed as politically motivated and has elements of political interference.
IV. The serious interruption to the mandate responsibilities of the Nursing Administration, Nursing Council and SINA, thus has impact on nurses practice and welfare.
V. It was proven that, within the period of the delay in reaching appropriate decisions, there was a noted continuous harm and bulling attitudes towards nurses that the current serving Permanent secretary has allowed to continuously display under her jurisdiction that are not acceptable.
SINA have proven that it has sufficient evidence to suggest that the implementation of the demands does not require an industrial action notice. What was uncovered pertaining the serving Permanent Secretary of Health leadership style has sufficient evidence and grounds that guarantees appropriate actions as public servants. However, SINA viewed that a call for her peaceful removal is done on the basis to resolve the long leadership deficiencies that the Ministry of health has experienced which become a public knowledge.
What was uncovered from this issue.
1. The Serving PS administration decision error has emerged from the continuous undervalued, mistreatment, disrespect and marginalised of the nursing workforce since resume office at the watch of responsible authorities.
2. An act of disrespect and undervalue over the Nursing Division hierarchical structure, the Nurses Scheme of Service and the Nursing Council Act by the responsible Accountable officer.
3. The decision of appointing a supervising Nation Director of Nursing has elements of misconducts in office and was already proven unlawful and a breaching of Public Service regulation that guaranteed a disciplinary action.
4. A political interference that has an intention of protecting an interest of a single Minister speaks volume of treating political interest superseding the national interest and interest of the nursing profession.
It is the a conviction of SINA and the Nursing Management, that the Nursing Profession of the country has reached the stage where effective leadership is crucial to take the next generation of nurses in to the current and future complex healthcare services space ,that demands major reforms. With what the nursing profession of the country has experienced with the current leadership, means the plans to advance nursing profession to position them to the level that they can be more responsive to the current and future healthcare services of the country will be seriously disrupted.
SINA also uncovered during the six months campaign that the administration decision error was just a tip of an ice-berg, on what has been manifest as the leadership deficiencies within the health sector that already become a public knowledge, and also made the Ministry of health Environment become very TOXIC that must be seriously addressed.
A Call for Action.
The Solomon Islands Nursing Association (SINA) executive on behalf of its financial members has no longer have the trust and confident to the current serving Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health over her leadership style.
Therefore, demands the ruling government to immediately address.
1. An urgent peaceful reshuffle of the current serving PS Health
2. An immediate re-instatement on the retirement deferment of the National Deputy Director of nursing which unfairly revoked.
3. Withhold the recruitment proceedings of the National Director of Nursing
SINA as a registered trade union and also professional association is duty bound to protect its member from being abusively mistreated in the manner that is distractive to their professional responsibilities that serves national interest. Therefore, call to the Ruling Government to immediately address this leadership deficiencies in health at its early as possible attempt.
