(10 February) Trade Union of the Health Service and Social Care of the Czech Republic (TUHSSC CR) demands immediate reopening of social dialogue with the Ministry of Health, the Government of the Czech Republic and the Doctors’ Trade Union Club to solve the current “health crisis that the Czech Republic is going through”.
The present crisis situation in the healthcare threatens health and lives of citizens, tens of thousands of employees may lose their jobs, among those endangered are also small supply firms connected to hospitals.
The European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU) supports the call to avoid deaths and jobs losses in the Czech Republic.
The Government is using the crisis to rash an ill-conceived and socially unbearable reform in the healthcare system of the Czech Republic. It is also misusing the present situation for the abolition of 10 000 acute-care beds, which would be a huge and unjustified encroachment into the system. In comparison with the neighbouring countries the Czech Republic has a decent health standard, the number of acute-care beds is comparable to that in Germany and Austria in respect to the number of inhabitants. Prospective changes in the number and structure of beds can only be made based on a profound analysis considering the need and accessibility of care in individual regions and not just because the Government budget “has” to be cut.
Unions in the Czech Republic demand an immediate implementation of legal regulations and further provisions that will curb corruption and make the system more efficient. As well as measures leading to reaching maximum savings in the prices of medicaments, medical material and instrumental equipment in hospitals in the benefit of workers and patients. They also demand that the State pays some higher contributions to the healthcare insurance policy for those they are obliged to pay.
And above all, the immediate opening of negotiations that will lead to a solving of the present crisis situation and to a solving of the complex remuneration system for workers in the healthcare with the target to raise their pay.
Unions also campaign for a united pay-scale for all workers in the healthcare in both public and private.
TUHSSC CR therefore appeals to minister Heger to use all possibilities to prevent the departure of doctors and requests that all further negotiations between the minister and the Doctors’ TU Club (LOK) are held with the presence of TUHSSC CR.
The trade unionists have warned against raising the tension through putting individual groups of workers against each other; they suggested that in joint-stock companies the concrete way of pay-rise for individual groups of workers should be agreed between the management and the unions.
For more information: Pablo Sanchez [email protected], 00 32 (0) 4 74 62 66 33
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