For more than a year, healthcare workers have been mobilized to demand more financial resources, more beds and more workers in health and social work establishments, both public and private. A lack of human and material resources highlighted with the health crisis. The Federation of Health and Welfare has decided to hold “Tuesdays of Anger”.
The CGT announces the first rally on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Dracénie Hospital Center (CHD), in Draguignan, and at 7:30 p.m. in front of Sainte-Musse Hospital, in Toulon (1). Isabelle Godard, general secretary of the CGT departmental union for health and social action, explains this.
Why this movement tomorrow?
Hospitals, health establishments, medico-social were on the move before the health crisis. Today, their demands are the same: halting restructuring, increasing the index point, revaluing the salary scales and improving working conditions. It has been said that we were heroes, we were going to be rewarded … We are not heroes but professionals. Many promises have been made and are not kept. Today, the government is talking about a medal, holiday vouchers given by employees who would exchange their RTT. We must stop the stupidities and apply concrete measures.
That is to say ?
First, a salary increase for all staff in the public service and the private sector. Nurses are the lowest paid in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. However, they were there, at the bedside. Like all the staff. Some are sick, others dead. A promise was made on recognition as an occupational disease for carers with Covid-19 in late April. Again, the texts have still not come out.
What about the massive investment plan announced in Mulhouse on March 25 by the President?
To this day, we still know nothing. Tomorrow (today, editor’s note) the “Ségur de la santé” plan will be presented by audio conference to 300 people, including the social partners. I doubt that we will return home serenely. The deputies of Var were arrested, some avenues for reflection were revealed. They absolutely do not suit us.
Which ones?
For example: a reorganization of care with a review of working time is mentioned. I have been practicing at the public hospital for over 30 years and have heard of restructuring. We are vigilant about what it can mean. And even more on working time. If the state were to pay all of the caregivers’ time savings accounts, millions would have to come out.
Career upgrades?
We demand an improvement in remuneration by the index point, the revaluation of salary scales. Qualifications must be paid for. The caregivers at Bac +4 or Bac +5 are below the technical or administrative level of the same level of study. It’s abnormal. In addition, it would seem that an improvement in the remuneration of employees is envisaged, but not for all. Which is problematic. In a hospital or health facility, we need everyone: caregivers as well as technical and administrative. It’s the team that makes the structures work. We demand human and material resources. Budgetary austerity policies are enough! Health is not a commodity! During the health crisis, with the announcements, there was optimism. There, there is concern.
What do you think of hospitals, like Draguignan, excluded from the € 1,500 premium when the teams were mobilized?
This proves, once again, that the ads do not stick to reality! In Draguignan, there was a mobilization of all the staff to reorganize a Covid resuscitation. It is true that there have not been many Covid patients. So much the better. But this decision is unfair. in this regard, the CGT wrote to the ARS so that Dracénois also receive the bonus of 1,500 euros.
Don’t you fear that this measure discourages caregivers when it comes to calling on them again?
If there were to be a second wave, the professionals will be there, it’s their job. In addition, in the Ehpad, the decree of the famous Covid premium has still not been released. However, the staff were present and often without any protection. You should know that in the Var, not all were protected in the same way.
The action is titled “Tuesdays of Anger”. Should we understand that this movement is renewable?
Yes, we are considering actions after the rallies in Draguignan and Toulon. For June 2, 8 and 16. Recognition is neither a medal nor applause. You have to be paid. And provide working conditions and hospitality worthy of the population of the sixth world power. If there had been 10,000 open “sheave” beds, I’m not sure we would have had that number of deaths and that quickly. There has to be a change in political doctrine, not to run the hospital like a business that has to yield.
Do you call the Var to mobilize tomorrow?
Of course. The health and social work sector can only fight with the people. We are there for them. It’s their hospital, their health. Not so long ago, in Draguignan, there was this slogan: “Save your sheave because one day it will save you”. Today, we can decline it: “Save your hospital because one day it will save you”!
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