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Tag: nurses
Delegates of Slovak Medical Chamber approved the decree, by which they ask Parliament, Government and Ministry of Health for a change of the Act on minimum wage claims of nurses with taking into account of the expertness and demands of work. Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives criticize these steps. In the case of required changes in the area of expertness of nurses they are asking the Slovak Medical Chamber to support firstly the change of competency of nurses and midwives, which would reflect their expertise in accordance with acquired qualification and specialization level of education.
Medical trade unionists refuse the creation of common act, which would adjust the salaries of all healthcare employees including doctors and nurses. Opening of medical act trade unions considers as an attack to the social harmony achieved by signing of memorandum with Government at the end of last year. Trade unionists are in the case of opening of this act considering the repeating of their original requirements, which they gave up for maintaining of social harmony in Slovak Republic.
Nurses will see money from government reserve on their payrolls at earliest in the autumn. According to the President of the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia, Marián Petko, the amount is sufficient, but hospitals will get money not sooner than in September. Many hospitals promised their nurses the increasing of wages from € 640 to € 926 monthly already in July. Petko, however, doubts this promise. Minister needs for transfer of the reserve the approval of Parliament, which will get to the negotiation on the change of legislation in June. Afterwards she needs a signature of President Ivan Gašparovič.
Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives is in open letter asking the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská and Minister of Labour Ján Richter to enable the nurses in social services institutions to provide health care again. Departmental bosses should according to them implement into the legislation the adjustment allowing social services institutions on the base of permit and license to become the providers of health care. Nurses argue that there are mostly old people with medical problems in nursing homes who need the health care.
For law granted salaries of nurses and doctors until the end of the year it will be necessary about € 107 million more, than is covered by current system. In 2013 it will be, as estimated, € 175 million. According to the spokeswoman of the Ministry these numbers are based on data available on Ministry of Health and can be exactly calculated only for those healthcare institutions, which are in the scope of the Ministry. Lack of resources for higher salaries of healthcare professionals the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská will currently cover by the reserve from state budget in amount of € 50 million.
Hospitals and outpatient clinics will use money from the € 50 million reserve in state budget fully for the salaries of healthcare professionals. They, however do not guarantee, that all nurses will see more money, brought by the new act from April, on their May payslips. Despite the fact that money which will arrive to providers will be used for the wages, not all nurses will get the higher salaries for April, as the money did not arrive yet.
Slovak Medical Chamber is trying again to stop the force of law, which from April mandatorily increases wages of nurses and midwives. Chamber therefore turned to the President of Parliamentary Health Comittee Richard Raši, who received more than 1 000 letters with the request of health care providers, members of Slovak Medical Chamber, for suspension of legal norm until it will be financially covered. Doctors are trying to stop the force of this law also through General Prosecutor's Office.
Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská plans to start another round of negotiations with healthcare employers on the nurses' salary issue. At the negotiating table she should meet with the Association of Faculty Hospitals, Association of Hospitals in Slovakia, trade unionists and the representatives of private doctors. The exact date of the meeting is not known yet.
Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská expects that in next two months hospitals and outpatient clinics will act approachable by the fulfilling of the Act on minimum wage claims of nurses. Employers have now, according to her, different view on the situation. Minister agreed with insurance companies that money from € 50 million reserve in state budget will be fully used for the healthcare providers.
Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives on the concilioum in Poprad did not adopt any severe measures in order to reach the fulfillment of statutory minimum wages of nurses. President of the Chamber believes that agreements and promises given by the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská will be fulfilled. Nurses considered the tougher measures in case if the minimum wage claims of nurses would not be fulfilled.
