Members of the “Health Solidarity” Federation from Romania (FSSR) are picketing, on Thursday, the headquarters of the Ministry of Health, after which a protest is scheduled in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity.
The protests continue because of the “dishonest” behavior towards the health workers
More precisely, members of the “Health Solidarity” Federation picketed the Ministry of Health between 12:00 and 14:00 on Thursday, and other members protested between 14:00 and 15:00 in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity.
“The dissatisfaction of the members of the “Health Solidarity” Federation is accentuated by the attitude of the Government at the negotiation of 02/05/2024. During that meeting, the representatives of the FSSR found that the Government's offer is not only insufficient compared to the legitimate expectations of health workers (expressed through claims), but also lacking in honesty. Although previously the Government publicly announced the intention of a 20% increase (for the entire year 2024) of the salary envelope/salary fund (which would mean, on average, a 20% increase in salary income), at the meeting on February 5, we they communicated that they “agreed” to increase only basic salaries by 20% (which means that health workers will benefit, on average, from an increase of only 13.9% in salary income), refusing to apply the increases to all salary rights“, the statement says.
According to the quoted source, the decision to continue the protests was determined by the “dishonest” behavior towards the health workers, by the “refusal to honor the commitments” that the Government publicly assumed during last year's negotiations with the members of the Federation. Sanitary Solidarity” and the lack of desire to satisfy the rest of the claims.
Among the demands of the trade unionists are the increase of basic salaries for all categories of employees in Health by at least 25% in 2024, the full granting of salary rights provided by Law 153/2017, including the reporting of ranking coefficients to the minimum wage in the economy in payment, the reporting of increments to the salary in payment, the payment of guards with the hourly rate of the basic norm, the granting of the food allowance by reporting to the minimum wage in the economy in payment, the adoption of the draft law on the salary – annex for Health negotiated with the Ministry of Health in the established form with the social partners and the application of the wage scales established by reference to the minimum wage in the economy in payment.
Also, the “Health Solidarity” Federation requests the completion of the negotiation of clauses, procedures and annexes according to the obligations agreed in the Collective Labor Agreement at the level of the Health sector 2023 – 2025, including the transposition and application of Annex no. 13, the adoption of measures to increase the quality of the professional life of health employees and to increase the quality of the medical act, including measures such as the recognition of the anticipated completion of the contribution period, the introduction of specialized conciliators in individual labor conflicts in the health sector, the equalization of the skills of nurses post-secondary school graduates.
