Kosovo
The healthworkers' union organised a two-day strike on 27-28 December, calling for better pay. With doctors on around EUR 600 a month, the union underlined the need for decent pay to stop workers leaving the service to find better paid jobs in other sectors with less stress. Emergency services were maintained during the action which the health union said it would repeat if the government failed to respond.
Services union ver.di was finally able to negotiate a new pay agreement with the Vivantes Service company in Berlin after 51 days of strike action. Vivantes Service is part of the Vivantes network of municipal health institutions providing care across the city. The three-year deal provides for increases of 2.1% in 2018, 2.1% in 2019 and 3.5% in 2010. However, in both 2018 and 2019 there are additional increases for the two lowest pay grades meaning that pay for the lowest paid will increase by up to 4% in 2018 and by between 3.2% and 3.5% in 2019. Ver.di's aim is to bring pay and conditions in
(October 2016) After six months of negotiations the health unions from the CITUB and Podkrepa confederations have negotiated a new collective agreement with the Mnistry of Health and health employers that includes pay increases of between 15% and 40% for healthworkers. The increases are part of an attempt to stem the flow of trained staff out of the country and include a 30% increase on the minimum wage in the sector.
Health unions in Bulgaria signed a new collective agreement on 8 November which includes substantial pay increases for workers across the sector. Compared to the pay rates set in the 2016 collective agreement, the minimum wage for nurses, midwives and laboratory technicians will increase by 22% from 900 lev (EUR 460) to 1100 lev (EUR 560) a month. The basic rate for doctors and pharmacists will increase by just under 30% from 1200 lev (EUR 615) to 1550 lev (EUR 790). Higher increases of up to 50% will be paid to medical specialists.
