Pediatric Oncology Staff to strike Over Unequal Critical Care Bonus
Staff at the pediatric oncology unit of the CHU (University Hospital Center) will begin a renewable strike on September 10th, protesting the inequitable distribution of a critical care bonus and the hospital management’s cost-cutting measures.
A decree issued in January 2022 authorized a 100 euro net monthly bonus for staff working in critical care. however, the pediatric oncology team reports receiving this bonus inconsistently and randomly. While 8 out of 13 beds in their unit are dedicated to critical care patients, the CHU’s current allocation method results in some staff receiving the bonus for a full month, others for only a portion, and many receiving nothing at all – despite performing the same job.
In 2023,the team raised concerns wiht hospital management and proposed solutions to ensure fair distribution,but these proposals were rejected. Nurses, childcare workers, and childcare assistants are now demanding retroactive payment of the bonus for all eligible staff, dating back to its implementation in 2022.
The strike is a response to what staff perceive as the CHU administration using them as a budgetary adjustment in a wider effort to achieve 2.7 million euros in savings on the wage bill by 2025, driven by a government-mandated performance plan. They argue the administration is prioritizing austerity over recognizing the commitment of caregivers.
This issue extends beyond pediatric oncology, with numerous other departments also seeking the bonus.Frustrated by years of unanswered requests, staff believe collective action is the only remaining path to achieve a fair resolution.
The pediatric oncology team will be picketing at the main entrance of the CHU on Wednesday, September 10th, and are calling on all CHU staff to join their mobilization.
