Italy
Trade unions representing doctors, health managers, veterinary and other health staff have called a national demonstration on 17 October and a national strike on 9 November. The unions want to see additional funding for the health service in order to address the urgent need to recruit new staff, provide training, tackle precarious employment and renew the collective agreement.
Health federations from the CGIL, CISL and UIL confederations organising doctors, hospital managers and vets joined the call for 24-hour strike action on 23 November. The unions are angry that the collective agreement for this group of workers remains unchanged after 10 years and is the last of the public sector agreements to be renewed. They are also calling for urgent action to deal with low pay, lack of resources and understaffing. The pressure on staff is set to increase with the average age of workers at 53 and an estimated 10000 doctors and managers set to retire over the next two years.
The CGIL, CSIL and UIL federations representing doctors, vets and hospital managers organised a national demonstration on 17 January to highlight the 10-year freeze on collective bargaining in the only public sector agreement that has not been renewed. The unions also complain of excessive working time and massive shortages of staff and now a change in the budget law that effectively blocks renegotiation of the collective agreement. The unions are planning a 24-hour strike on 25 January and further action in February.
The Health Workers' Union of Ukraine has called a national demonstration on 12 September in protest at the government's failure to respond to a labour dispute raised by the union last year. The union is claiming a general rise for all healthworkers as well as resolution of an issue relating to highly skilled workers' pay. The demonstration will also highlight the need to increase health sector funding and will protest against government plans for restructuring and to cut hospital beds.
