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2 minutes agoDoctors on strike, waiting patients
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)Ortopedia Clinic Director Traumatology in Pristina Gani Jasanica on Thursday (November 25th) was at work, but without a white cloak. It was symbolic of the day-day general strike of health workers at all Kosovo medical centres. They are seeking approval of the Law of Payers, subsequently, the increase in salaries [...]
They are demanding approval of the Law of Pays, subsequently, increasing their salaries.
“Pages are insufficient. With this strike we have taken a small step to raise the consciousness of the government to support us more. With current conditions, health workers are interested in abandoning the public sector. Each of us can best be found, whether outside Kosovo or in the private health sector”, Jasanica told Radio Free Europe.
The salary law was adopted in February 2019 and entered into force in March. But, in December 2019, the ombudsman institution sent this law to the Constitutional Court for, as it was said, “the assessment of the compliance” of this law with the Constitution.
The Constitution later rendered this law invalid. Under the decision, the law is not compatible with 11 provisions of the Kosovo Constitution and causes “power-sharing disorder of the judiciary and independent institutions”.
By this law, a doctor who specializes in money raised wages from 600 to 1,200 euros, and a nurse from about 400 to 525 euros. The newly graduated doctor, the monthly salary, receives 502 euros, while with the Law for Pay, already abolished, it was meant to receive 800 euros.
Blerim Syla, chairman of the Federation of Kosovo Health Unions, the federation that has organised the strike, says the current salary of doctors and nurses is offensive.
He says that on the basis of the already abolished wage Law, about 20m euros a year have been needed for the implementation of salaries for health workers.
“Taking on inflation that has increased, warnings of increasing the price of electricity, and the fact that health workers since 2014 have not had salary increases, it is easy to find that the demand is right and legitimate for wage increases, in this way the dignity of the whites grows, because it has indeed been desecrated of the”, Syla said.
Kosovo government has confirmed for REL that, “the working group is currently working on the wage bill, which, after being drafted, will be sent for preliminary consultations and public consultations”.
Even so, unionists say drafting the bill on wages is being done in a nontransparent manner.
The Association of Patients Rights in Kosovo, (SHDPK), has expressed concern about the patient's situation following the entry of health staff into the strike. According to the association, rising wages of medical staff in the past “has not improved the quality of services, it has remained the same 20 years after the war”.
“The only solution is reforming the health system”, a communiqué for the media of the association said.
Because of the strike, some patients on Thursday have lost service. One of them is Valbona Shapp's husband from Peja, who came for radiation at Oncology Clinic.
We didn't know it was a strike. That doesn't sound right. We're from Peja. Now we have to go back. For him (the husband) fatigue has been abused, because he is not in good health”, she said.
However, Blerim Syla, from the Federation of Kosovo Health Unions, warns that strikes and other union actions will be continuous if the government and institutions do not reflect on workers' demands.
In addition to the health sector, education workers have warned protests for December, while three other unions -- the police, Customs and Fire Department -- are considering the possibilities of protest with the demand that the wage bill be drafted in co-operation with trade unions.
