THE SLOVAK Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SKSaPA) has asked the Health Ministry to introduce higher coefficient necessary for setting their basic salaries.
While the ministry plans to set the coefficient to 0.81 in professional duties, meaning that their basic salary will equal 81 percent of the average wage in Slovakia recorded two years ago, the SKSaPA asks for coefficient at 0.87. This means that the basic salary in 2014 would stand at €700.35 a month, which is by €48.3 per month higher than ministry proposal, the SITA newswire reported on August 13.
“We want nothing more than what we already had guaranteed,” said Iveta Lazorová, head of the SKSaPA, as quoted by SITA.
The representatives of nurses and midwives also claim to set the coefficient in so-called certification duties to 0.90, up by 0.05 compared to the ministry proposal. This would mean the basic salary at €724.5, up by €40.25.
Regarding the specialised duties, the SKSaPA proposes to decrease the coefficient by 0.03 to 0.93. The basic salary of nurses and midwives in this case would stand at €748.65, which is by €24.15 monthly lower than what the ministry proposed, as reported by SITA.
Moreover, representatives of SKSaPA demand to increase the basic parts of salaries for every three years of experience by at least 0.03 times of the average wage in Slovakia. The state should also guarantee the basic part of the salary even in case the nurse or midwife works in the private sector.
“Nurses, regardless of where they work, deserve the same salary,” Lazorová said, as quoted by SITA.
The Health Ministry responded that it will read the proposal of SKSaPA, as well as proposals of other groups of medical employees.
“The nurses brought the proposal of change that pertains only to this group of medical employees and is totally different from the proposals of other medical employees groups, whose number more than 20,” said Health Ministry spokeswoman Martina Šoltésová, as quoted by SITA.
The request also affects all spheres: state, private, as well as hospitals and clinics.
“Since the beginning we have been saying that employees in the medical sector are not only doctors, nurses or midwives, but there are also other professions without which the operation of medical facilities was not possible,” Šoltésová told SITA.
The spokesperson added that the ministry can affect only facilities which it can control. The main idea of the change is to make order in salaries of medical employees in state-run facilities, she added.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
