More than 200 Sanitas trade union members have picketed the Finance Ministry on Tuesday, despite the cold weather in Bucharest, dissatisfied with the capping to 30% of the bonuses for the health system employees.
“We will go on general strike, nobody is giving up. Mrs. Minister is not giving up and neither will we,” one of the protesters has told realitatea.net.
The Sanitas national Council has decided on Monday to stage protests in Bucharest.
Health system trade unionists, Sanitas, decided last week to trigger a general strike. They are dissatisfied that although the wages have increased, they are not in line with the expectations of doctors and nurses. The unionists will trigger the general strike due to the regulation on bonuses and of the wage law.
The decision to launch the general strike was unanimous.
The scheduled protests start with four days of picketing on March 22, 24, 27 and 29 at the ministries of Health, Labour, Finance and at the PSD offices.
In April, a rally will be organised to gather some 20,000 health employees, all of whom are dissatisfied by the regulation on bonuses and the wage law.
Last Monday, Health Minister Sorina Pintea said there is no reason for general strike, as no earnings have been cut.
“We’ll talk to Sanitas again. The wages are not smaller. As long as there are no cuts, I don’t believe there are reasons for general strike. I believe it would be hypocrisy for Sanitas leaders to trigger the strike. I believe we can find solutions for all issues. (…) We have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow. I do not understand why a schedule for picketing, strikes, as we haven’t discussed each of them,” Sorina Pintea said.
The minister claims the physicians’ wages have increased since March 1 as well as the net incomes.
“The net earnings do not decrease, they increase,” she said.