State doctors threaten further strike

State doctors have threatened a further 24 hour strike on Wednesday January 21, saying they have come to this because health minister Philippos Patsalis has not resolved issues he said he would deal with.
The union decided to bring back the dynamic measures it suspended in the past, an announcement said, because none of the main demands of the state doctors have been solved.
It said the health minister said he would solve these problems “before the end of 2014!”
The previous work stoppage the doctors’ union PASYKI had announced last November was averted after a meeting with Patsalis.
PASYKI accuses the minister of breaking a series of commitments he made to them regarding overtime pay, job security for newly-hired doctors and a series of promotions to hospital administrator.
“Unfortunately with the ongoing understaffing of the state hospitals and the increasing number of patients, doctors are forced daily to go above and beyond in order to be able to cope with the work load under pressure and poor conditions,” it said.
The union said they also expect Patsalis to answer to the questions they forwarded to him concerning several troubling points they found in the proposed bills on the autonomy of the hospitals and on the national health scheme (NHS).

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