The Government, officially notified by the Health trade unionists of the “intention to trigger a general strike”. Sanitas: There is also the risk of “spontaneous strikes” in hospitals

Sanitas first vice president Iulian Pope said Monday that “there is a lot of pressure from health and social care workers for all forms of protest,” including spontaneous strikes in hospitals.

Iulian Pope said, on Antena 3, that the Government was notified on Monday by trade unionists about “our intention to trigger a general strike”.

“Indeed, there is also this risk (of spontaneous strikes in hospitals, no). We had a meeting, today, with our colleagues in the country, there is a lot of pressure from the workers in the health and social assistance system for all forms of protest, including spontaneous strikes at the unit level,” said the union leader.

He explained that, from a legal point of view, emergencies will have to be addressed regardless of the type of strike.

“A strike means the interruption of work at the workplace, this is the definition. We are obliged by law to provide emergency services throughout the strike period, whether we are talking about a two-hour strike or a general strike,” said Iulian Pope.

“The government has a deadline of 10 days to invite us to negotiations”

The first vice-president of Sanitas stated that the trade unionists are waiting to be invited by the Government to the negotiations.

“We are waiting. The government has a deadline of 10 days to invite us to negotiations. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I hope we succeed in this meeting, because it is essential for our patients, first of all, and for the workers, because we are exposing them to a number of risks by organizing this strike,” added Iulian Pope.

Asked what he was telling governors about a possible general strike in the health system, he said: “Prepare for the worst.”

“Once started, my colleagues are very dissatisfied, the lack of staff, increments and guards at the level of 2018, all these things will be put on the back burner in the assumption that the Government does not understand to invite us to negotiations and to exempt the health and social assistance system from the 10% cut in income”, concluded Iulian Pope.

The measures criticized by trade unionists

In a statement from Friday, in which it announced “the initiation of legal procedures to declare a general strike against the economic and social policies of the Romanian Government”, Sanitas claimed “the loss of the food allowance, from the beginning of this year for a good part of the employees”, “the loss of vacation vouchers for a part of the employees”, as well as “the reduction of the level of some categories of wage increases”.

“Given the risk of a further 10% decrease in income for all staff in the two systems, the SANITAS Federation will start collecting signatures for a general strike in all health and social assistance units starting from Monday,” the trade union organization also declared in the statement of February 13.

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