The recent decision taken by lawmakers and senators to further increase overtime hours for health workers has increased their dissatisfaction. This was clearly visible at the union meeting, where Minister Vlastimil Válek also came to debate. He took from him a list of requirements that must be met to improve the situation in the health sector.

“Health care was based on our enthusiasm, on our desire to do something for society. But that desire is gone. Until you take some systematic steps, you won’t get any health service. I’m not threatening, I’m just threatening.” just stating, because what I experienced is inexplicable ” Jana Procházková, head nurse of the emergency department of Znojmo Hospital, told the minister.

Other women working in the health sector expressed similar views. They also warned that the situation was becoming more serious, salaries were low and doctors and nurses were getting older. “The old doctors told me they served an additional eight and a half years. But today’s young people don’t want to spend their lives working. It’s crazy, they don’t even get seniority for it, it doesn’t even count. for his retirement fund. They will only damage their health,” added another health worker sister.

At the same time, he added that his colleagues currently do not even have the opportunity to pay a mortgage to buy an apartment. According to the Czech Statistical Office, the average salary of a general nurse without specialization was 44,000 gross last year. Includes all bonuses and overtime pay.

That the younger generation is unwilling to work large amounts of overtime is demonstrated by the recent protests of the Young Doctors Section of the Czech Medical Chamber. As Aktuálně.cz has shown, these doctors will refuse to do any more additional work. Although the Chamber of Deputies approved the coalition MPs’ amendment, in addition to increasing overtime hours, the possibility that these overtime hours are voluntary, doctors said that it is often impossible to refuse them.

“We need to realize that the health sector is not a machine that keeps moving. If there is no money in it, it will not develop for the better. Jobs in the health sector must be interesting and well paid, so that no one is disadvantaged. forced to earn extra income by having other working hours, which is colloquially called overtime,” said Milan Kubek, president of the Czech Medical Chamber.

He described the base salary as crippling. Young people are not stupid. High school students know very well that they should avoid healthcare, because it is a big job that pays poorly,” Kubek added.

Válek threatens to fire you for violating labor regulations

At times, the Minister of War managed to calm the angry medics. For example, when he told them how much he understood the situation, because four years ago he worked a lot of overtime, including weekends, at Brno University Hospital. But when he didn’t have a quick solution for the medics, they showed their anger. They repeatedly explained to him that they often did not even receive the promised money for their salaries, so he lost the desire to work further.

“I understand you completely. I know very well how it works in reality,” Válek assured them, while complaining that in the Czech Republic there is no agreement between all political parties on how and where the health sector should go. “I envy my colleagues in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal or Denmark, where in the past they agreed that health care and education would not be part of the political struggle and they would look for a common path,” said Válek.

He refused to accept amendments to the Labor Law, which critics say, could double overtime in the health sector. “I did not propose the unfortunate amendment and I did not vote for it. This is a law of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs,” Válek defended, referring to the department headed by People’s Party head Marian Jurečka.

He promised the audience that he had a solution to the problem, but he was reluctant to reveal it. First, he wanted to tell Jureček. However, he actually annoyed the health workers. They went after him for denying responsibility even though he did nothing to prevent the overtime amendment from being passed.

“You had the opportunity to support our proposal, but you didn’t. Moreover, you didn’t discuss this entire issue with us beforehand. Why did you forcefully push it to the back of our chamber and the union? You weren’t even in the room when it was discussed, ” he read to the Minister, Chairman of the Kubek Medical Chamber.

Válek finally said goodbye to the health workers, saying that they would meet at a meeting in October, where they would continue the debate and look for solutions. At the same time, he promised them that he would ensure that the hospital complied with the Labor Code regarding overtime. “For me it is completely unacceptable if hospitals that are managed directly by the ministry do not comply with labor regulations. I can’t imagine it. If it is not adhered to somewhere, then for me that is a reason to fire the director. to enforce this very vigorously, without hesitation,” he said.

However, the medical staff was not satisfied with his performance. “He behaved like any politician who tries to spend most of his time with platitudes and phrases, and not getting to the point,” said the chairman of the Medical Trade Union Club, Martin Engel. President of the Union of Health and Social Care Workers Dagmar Žitníková and president of the Young Doctors Section of the Czech Medical Chamber Jan Přáda also evaluated the performance in the same way.

The medical workers’ union and the Czech Medical Chamber then submitted a list of their demands to the minister. In it, they call for the abolition of the aforementioned overtime clause, the abolition of the ban on 24-hour work shifts, the implementation of a separate law on the remuneration of health workers and doctors, the approval of benefits in the form of services, spa treatment or early retirement, or an increase in tabular salaries.

VIDEO: You are bringing the health sector down, nurses denounce Minister Válek