Trade unions, PM to discuss salaries

Prague, Feb 21 (CTK) - The health trade unions will discuss salaries in the health care sector on Thursday with Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas, Dagmar Zitnikova, chairwoman of the Health and Social Care Trade Union (OSZSP), told journalists yesterday.

The trade unions complain that most health workers have not received the promised pay rise at the beginning of the year.

They say hospitals, regions and emergency service institutions do not have the money for this. As a result, they demand that the regulation under which health care companies cover the care should be modified, Zitnikova said.

Last year, the pay rise was agreed on by Health Minister Leos Heger and the health care trade unions under the pressure of the doctors' protest campaign Thank You, We Are Leaving, within which one quarter of hospital doctors handed in notices in support of higher salaries.

Their pay was eventually in 2011 raised in consistence with the memorandum that also promised another 10 percent raise to doctors and other medical personnel next year in 2012.

Heger promised that the incomes would be increased by 6.25 percent as of January.

He said the hospitals had the money for this.