Sanitas Bucharest representatives, picketing Ministry of Finance, demand 20 pct wage increases for hospital staff

Representatives of Bucharest's hospitals personnel protested on Thursday in front of the Ministry of Finance, demanding an increase in salaries of at least 20%."In front of the Ministry of Finance there were about 250 protesters, mainly from Bucharest, because Sanitas Bucharest requested approval for this picketing, and we were joined by some Sanitas county leaders, from yesterday's National Council, so in total we were over 250 people. We protested because at this moment no concrete solutions have been found regarding the increase of salaries by at least 20%, as we requested. We had a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, and today we were received at the Ministry of Finance by the deputy secretary general and a secretary of state, who said that (...) they are trying to find a solution, but they still haven't found the necessary money," Viorel Huanu, president of the Sanitas trade union union in Bucharest said on Thursday.   He said that a working group has been set up at government level, made up of representatives of Sanitas, the ministries of Finance, Labour and Health, who "have ten days to find solutions"."If no solutions are found during these days, we will continue our protests. We have enough signatures to even launch a general strike. In the meantime, while giving the Government time to find solutions, we will picket all the relevant ministries, Labour, Finance and Health, after which we will set another timetable to be joined by all the health unions," added Husanu.Asked about a deadline for a possible general strike, Husanu said, "If on February 1 we officially register the labour conflict with the Ministry of Labour, the strike will be requested by the two representative federations, Sanitas and Solidaritatea, (...) and the interval until the general strike would be 2-3 weeks to go through all the legal steps. Until then, my colleagues also want a big rally in Bucharest, with more than 10,000 participants," Husanu said.   According to the union leader, at Thursday's protest came nurses with their pay slips for December of 3,000 RON, TESA (Technical Economic Scientific Administrative) staff - 2,500 RON and dentists - 5,500 RON, SMURD medical assistant flying on helicopter - 5,500 RON and specialist doctors - 7,000 RON. He mentioned that higher incomes are earned by physicians on call and have bonuses for work in ICUs, pathology (1% of employees).Some protesters carried shopping baskets with their salary slips and placards with the messages: "Staff shortage", "Don't let healthcare die", "The hardest thing anyone knows/ Is in paediatrics/ To make the little one well,/For low pay". They chanted "General strike".