Doctors, nurses and paramedics are on strike, demanding that the government increase spending on healthcare in the multiannual plan from 7% to 8% of the GDP. According to Eurostat, the EU average is 10%. The second demand is to increase the salaries in the medical sectors to the EU average so that the brain drain of doctors is contained. The third demand is to increase the number of personnel working in healthcare to the EU and OECD levels. Eurostat data shows Poland had the lowest level in the EU, with 238 physicians per 100,000 of the general population in 2018, while the EU average was 388. The protesters are also demanding to negotiate with the Prime Minister, who has been ignoring their demands. They refuse to negotiate with the Health Minister.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
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