The Doctors’ Trade Unions Association (LOZ) ended its strike alert on December 16 after President Ivan Gašparovič signed the amendment to the law on health-care providers that fulfils the basic demands of the doctors, the TASR newswire reported.
“By the president signing the health-care laws, one phase of LOZ’s efforts aimed at improving the situation of Slovak patients and the state of Slovakia’s health care has been completed,” said the chairman of the union, Marián Kollár, adding that the doctors believe that they will not have to use extreme measures again.
Kollár added that the legislation tackling excessive overtime will prevent mistakes due to doctors’ fatigue.
“Meanwhile, the symbolic increase in the salaries will help mainly young doctors, so that they will not have to spend many years in lodging houses,” said Kollár, as quoted by TASR.
The union leader also criticised Prime Minister Iveta Radičová for recommending that the unions’ leadership be replaced with specialists in the field. Her appeal represents a “gross interference” into the rights of trade unions, according to Kollár.
Source: TASR
For more information on this story please see: Doctors keep strike alert in place, demand Uhliarik's dismissal
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
