2023-12-14 19:19:21
BarcelonaBehind the call for protests by public health nurses, which on Tuesday succeeded in mobilizing mainly primary care professionals and which will culminate tomorrow with a demonstration at the gates of the Ministry of Health, there is a demand for care, professional recognition and salary increase. This is what Infermeres de Catalunya maintains, which, despite not having representation at the negotiating table of the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), has channeled the discomfort of some of the workers – they consider that the new labor agreement undermines their profession and does not pay them enough – towards a sectoral strike, the first in many years. From the Department of Health, however, they assure that the improvements embodied in the agreement are substantial for the 16,000 public health nurses and emphasize that none of them will receive less than 35,000 euros, without taking into account the complementary remunerations.
Among the measures contained in the new agreement there is a reduction of 43 hours per year in the working day and the increase in the fixed salary of nurses, which Salut figures at 1,700 euros per year net and 500 euros that go from being variable supplements to fixed . This measure was already applied with the agreement of the comprehensive health system for public use in Catalonia (Siscat). In addition, supplements are created to recognize specialists with a degree (1,500 euros per year) and those specialized via a master’s degree or expertise with 10 years of experience, as detailed by Health this Thursday. In this case, the increase will be 1,000 euros per year when they work in critical care, operating theatres, anesthesia and burns, and 750 euros for the rest of the medical and surgical services.
For example, with the previous labor agreement, a primary care nurse of the ICS received a gross minimum of 28,800 euros per year. Adding the supplement for objectives, this could reach 38,900 euros per year. On average, therefore, they received 35,500 euros. With the agreement in force, Salut ensures that the minimum salary of these professionals will be 35,000 euros because the complement for objectives becomes fixed, and the maximum, 42,000 euros. On average it will be 40,000 euros.
If, in addition, the nurse has a specialty, she will now receive a minimum of 39,500 euros and a maximum of 43,500 euros. In these cases, it will be necessary to add, case by case, the three years, double shifts or weekend shifts. The supplements that are perceived according to whether you work in a rural area (8,571 euros) or urban (7,546 euros) have also been simplified, as well as those for commuting, with three typologies depending on whether you work in the city or outside the most villages (between 2,750 and 3,750 euros).
All these wage increases included in the third agreement of the ICS will begin to be collected in the January payroll, but retroactively from November 23, the day after the agreement was signed.
Pay more in rural areas
Hospital nurses will go from receiving around 35,000 euros per year on average with additional targets to 40,977 euros. The excess shift overlaps – the period of transfer of patient information, which means that workers have to come in earlier or leave later to do it – will be paid with a maximum of 300 euros. As for workers with shift work, who also work on weekends and holidays, they receive a maximum supplement of 450 euros per year. In addition, those who voluntarily do the 43 hours that the agreement reduces will receive a supplement of 1,500 euros per year.
In the case of midwives, Salut indicates that the salary increases by 1,200 euros per year for additional certification and by 1,500 for a professional career, i.e. for being a specialist. Midwives in areas with difficult coverage will also be charged 2,000 euros more per year for travel. According to the ministry’s calculations, the average salary will go from 36,547 euros to 39,497 euros in urban areas, and from 38,288 euros to 43,522 euros in rural areas.
The department assures that the agreement aims to approve the entire Catalan public health system and the councilor Manel Balcells assured on the day of the presentation that this pact places Catalonia in a competitive position to retain talent compared to other autonomous communities.
On the part of the nurses, the contract agreement was supported only by Satse, the only specific nursing union with representation at the bargaining table. Nor does the Council of Nurses’ Associations of Catalonia approve it, since it considers that the improvements introduced do not satisfy the needs expressed by this health group for some time. In addition, they reproached Balcells for having acted “so quickly and without room for reflection” with the agreement.
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