Reform of the Health Law to improve the working conditions of Osasunbidea in Navarra
- This Thursday it was voted in the Parliament of Navarre and, rarely, it obtained 49 votes in favour and one abstention, Left-Ezkerrarena (I-E), not because of its opposition to the content, but because of the maltreatment of the unions from the government.
Between PSN, Geroa Bai, Ahal Dugu and EH Bildu have proposed a reform and legal debate, and Navarra adds the proposal. The legal reform modifies Foral Law 11/1992 and the most important measure approved is the increase of 400 euros per month of salary negotiated with the Medical Union of Navarra. It is the most important consequence of the Medical Union strike and affects some 2,300 doctors.
In addition, improvements have been made in terms of pay, promotion of levels, internal mobility, licences, etc., as well as on additional days of seniority and leave on own affairs. All these measures will come into force this year and all improvements in the Department of Health’s calculations will cost approximately €20 million, of which 8.5 million will be medical wages.
The improvement will also affect career workers – a special salary obtained in 2008 –, level A and B professionals in a first step, but also those in C and D. It will finally affect over 8,000 workers.
Primary Care staff visiting rural areas will also benefit from EUR 75, 100 and 150 per month, respectively, for travel up to 59, up to 79 or more than 80 kilometres. The strengthening of Primary Health Care has been one of the axes of today’s debate and has agreed to create more jobs in this area to, among other things, alleviate the workload of doctors. Regarding the number of patients, a primary care physician should attend to a maximum of 32 patients per day, with a minimum of 12 minutes per patient.
Cancellation of strike
Some of the measures they have adopted today have been negotiated by LAB and UGT in the last few days, and have thus overturned the strike called by the Osasunbidea Inter-Trade Union for this Thursday. These two unions say that, after what was achieved, it would be irresponsible to continue the call.
On the contrary, the CCOO, ELA and SAE unions have strongly criticised the LAB and UGT agreement, and have accused that what has been agreed is far from their demands for today’s strike. In addition, both have been charged with political dependence and have held a new call for a strike by 4 April.
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