ZAGREB (Reuters) – About 4,000 medical workers joined a strike launched on Monday in hospitals across Croatia, threatening to provide only basic emergency services to patients until the government reconsiders their demands for higher salaries.
“Together” (“Zajedno”), the union including radiology engineers, technicians and nurses, has demanded that the government considers widening by 20% the basis for the calculation of their salaries and re-introduces bonuses for hazardous work conditions.
They also complain of a workload that is too heavy as many health workers have left Croatia for the West, creating staff shortages at hospitals.
Marin Tomelic, the “Together” representative and himself a hospital radiology practitioner, said the trade union began talks with the government in March but there had been no satisfactory answers.
“They have been degrading us since,” Tomelic said. “For us the strike is not a goal but the means to attract attention of decision-makers, i.e. the ministry and the government,” he said, adding the strike will end when the demands have been met.
Tomelic extended an apology to all those patients who will not get their treatments or diagnostics as long as the strike goes on.
Health Minister Vili Beros downplayed the strength of the union, saying the numbers of workers joining the strike were much smaller and dismissing their requests as “blackmail”.
(Reporting by Antonio Bronic and Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Ed Osmond)
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