Doctors at KKUK warn radical measures, demand larger salaries

The Kosovo University Clinical Centre's health workers today have entered a 24-hour strike, which is demanding a salary raise for doctors and technical workers in the sector.

In addition, health workers are also seeking respect for collective sectoral contract. on strike today has entered alone QKUK, but if it does not meet their demands, health workers warn there may be even more radical unionist measures.

The deputy head of the Federation of Kosovo Health Unions, Xhemajl Selmani, has told Kosovo that the strike has come due to the delay of the wage law and ensuring wage increases in the health sector.

The 24-hour strike is a signal strike for our government. The reasons are many, especially the procrastination process that 1 year for the Law on Salaries and we have actually realized that there is no place in the adoption stage, as well as respect of the collective sector contract signed by the Federation of Kosovo Health Unions and the Ministry of Health. These are the two basic requirements which the Government should reflect, otherwise this is just a warning for even more radical unionist measures”, he said.

If they did not meet their demands, Selmani indicated they would take more radical measures.

While saying that already 1 year they have been dialogueing with the minister of health, prime minister, Parliament Speaker and all political parties. However, according to him their demands have been ignored.

For measures to be taken further, the FSK will hold on December 20th the Steering Council meeting, where even other hospital centres will be introduced on strike.

The “on the FSK Steering Council there will make further decisions, I'm afraid that according to our base requirements we can also go to radical union measures”, he said.

The Emergency Clinic at CKUK has also entered the strike, yet health services are being offered only for life - threatening situations.

The director of this clinic, Basri Lenyan, has said they will only accept emergencies. He has announced how emergency clinic staff support health professionals' demands.

“Based on the Law on Emergency Care of Kosovo Emergency Clinic has been forced to provide medical attention to all those who are in danger of life. The Emergency Clinic has always been supportive to meet the demands of healthcare professionals. Despite this as Emergency Clinic on obligations and obligations issued by law, we are obliged to provide emergency medical care within 24 hours. No cold cases will be accepted that can be handled in primary medicine centres, in regional hospitals”, he said.

Lenyan says it is the last time Kosovo institutions must consider their demands and regulate the dignity of medical personnel.

Numerous citizens at other QKUK clinics have been unable to receive health services, some of them have refused to speak to the camera but have indicated they support the strike of health workers. However, there have also been those who have opposed their strike.

The QKUK health workers' strike began at 7am.