By Martin Hellicar
A GOVERNMENT climbdown yesterday raised hopes that a threatened all-out strike by state doctors could be averted.
Last week, incensed by Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou’s refusal to either recognise or negotiate with them, doctors’ union Pasyki called an indefinite strike to start on December 1.
But Christodoulou softened his stance yesterday, saying the government would now negotiate doctors’ demands with both Pasyki and umbrella civil servants’ union Pasydy.
“A chance must be given to the union side, Pasydy and the Pancyprian union of government doctors (Pasyki), to air its opinions on the demands it believes the official side should consider,” Christodoulou said after a meeting yesterday of a relevant ministerial committee he heads.
The minister had previously insisted he would negotiate only with Pasydy, because doctors had not followed proper procedure when abandoning the umbrella union to form Pasyki in June.
Christodoulou said the committee, which heard from Pasydy on Wednesday and Pasyki on Thursday, had decided the doctors could be represented by Pasydy and Pasyki “jointly or separately.”
The minister called on Pasyki to call off their planned strike action: “In view of these negotiations, the taking or threatening of industrial action is not appropriate.”
Pasyki chairman Stavros Stavrou said he was satisfied by the committee decision, but added it would be up to the union executive council, meeting today, to decide on whether to call off the strike.
“Our initial appraisal is that this is a step in the right direction, but the final decision (on the strike action) will be taken by the executive committee.”
Pasydy general secretary Glafcos Hadjipetrou was not so happy, showing obvious irritation at Christodoulou’s apparent change of heart.
“Pasydy is capable of negotiating on behalf of doctors… and I don’t know why this point has escaped the Finance Minister’s attention as he is well versed in the relevant procedures.”
“We have said before, and I repeat, that we remain faithful to the implementation of regulations and procedures,” Hadjipetrou said, casting aspersions at Pasyki’s legitimacy.
He called on the doctors to abandon their breakaway union and return to the fold.
Ninety-eight per cent of state doctors abandoned Pasydy five months ago, claiming it did not do enough to defend their rights, and formed Pasyki.
The doctors, demanding higher pay and bigger pensions as well as a reorganisation of the health service, staged a four-hour warning strike on November 19 and a 24-hour strike the next day, paralysing hospitals.
Back-up teams ensured emergency cover at all hospitals during the strikes, but the prospect of long-term industrial action by doctors raised the spectre of serious disruption for patients.
