Greece’s National Health System (ESY) enters a “siege of mobilizations” for the next 48 hours, as public health system doctors proceed with a nationwide 24-hour strike today, Wednesday (18/3), following a decision by the Federation of Unions of Hospital Doctors of Greece, while a demonstration is expected at the Ministry of Health at 12 noon. Meanwhile, the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDHN) has declared a 24-hour nationwide health sector strike for tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, with work stoppage in Attica from 08:00 to 15:00 and a 24-hour strike in the regions. Public hospital workers plan to gather at 9 am at the Ministry of Health.
Hospital doctors and public hospital workers’ demands: “Our salaries increased by less than one euro per year”
The focus of the mobilizations is medical wages and hospital understaffing, while until the day of the strike, primary unions were engaged in consultation processes to prepare for the strike.
“We are escalating our struggle for substantial salary increases, mass recruitment of permanent full-time and exclusively employed doctors, and humane working hours,” states OENGE.
According to OENGE, hospital doctors’ income has suffered significant reduction over the past 15 years, mainly due to the abolition of the 13th and 14th salary payments. As highlighted, salary increases from 2012 to today are marginal – from 59 euros for assistant doctor B’ to 140 euros for specialists in training, while senior grades have recorded even decreases.
“Over the past 15 years our salaries increased by less than 1 euro per year, at best,” the Federation notes characteristically, emphasizing that any increases do not compensate for the loss of allowances that were in effect in the past.
