Doctors will get two scheduled salary increases, termination of the process of transforming state-run hospitals into joint-stock companies and changes in the Labour Code, as Slovakia’s parliament passed a proposal on December 14 that fulfils the agreements in the memorandum signed between the government and the Medical Trade Unions’ Association (LOZ) in early December, the TASR newswire reported.
The amending proposal submitted by Richard Raši (Smer) that terminated the transformation of hospitals was supported by MPs from Smer as well as four MPs from the Ordinary People faction and two MPs from the Slovak National Party (SNS). MPs from Smer, Most-Híd, two from SNS and two independent MPs voted for the overall proposal submitted by parliament’s health-care committee. The outcome of the vote was indirectly assured after MPs from the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party did not vote, reducing the quorum during the voting, the Sme daily wrote in its December 15 issue.
The head of the doctors’ union, Marián Kollár, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the vote, saying the doctors are satisfied even though the approved amendment guarantees only two pay rises next year while the third that was promised to take place at the beginning of 2013 was dropped from the amendment.
Under the legislation doctors and dentists working in state-run hospitals will have their pay set at 1.05 to 1.6 times the average salary in Slovak economy as of January 2012, TASR wrote. There are approximately 7,400 doctors and dentists in Slovak hospitals, with a current average monthly salary of €1,000. As of January, the basic salary for doctors without experience will be at least €807, increasing to €923 in July. The minimum basic salary for a specialist is to go up to €1,230 initially and subsequently to €1,461 in the second stage.
The salary increases will cost around €31 million, which the ministry intends to cover using savings made within the health-care system.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
