BRATISLAVA, December 14, (WEBNOVINY) — On Wednesday afternoon, the Slovak Parliament adopted SMER-SD MP Richard Rasi’s proposal to amend the debated draft bill so as to cancel transformation of the legal form of state-run hospitals to joint stock companies. Seventy deputies supported the draft: opposition SMER-SD and SNS MPs, four Ordinary People and ex-SNS deputies Anna Belousova and Rudolf Pucik; 29 opposed it and 23 did not vote. SaS MPs did not participate at the vote, reducing the quorum and thus de facto enabling the adoption of the opposition proposal, in line with demands of protesting hospital doctors.
Seventy-nine deputies voted for the draft bill increasing the salaries of doctors from 2012 with MOST-HID voting together with the opposition. The 2012 increase is divided into two phases, first from the beginning of the year with a second increase from July. Although the Cabinet and medical unions memorandum promises an increase also in 2013, such provision was not adopted.
Medical Trade Association (LOZ) head Marian Kollar welcomed abolishing the transformation of hospitals to joint-stock companies which he considers to be one of their most important goals. “Not everything was fulfilled and adopted, but I consider everything which was fulfilled as positive,” informed Kollar at a briefing after the vote. Even though the parliament did not adopt increasing the salaries of doctors in 2013, Kollar believes there’ll be enough time to negotiate this issue with the new Cabinet after early elections next March.
The salaries of Slovak doctors are to increase to 1.05-fold of two-years-ago average income in national economy with unattested and to 1.6-fold with attested doctors as of January 1, 2012. As of July 2012, their salaries are to increase again to 1.2 and 1.9-fold respectively. According to the memorandum, the salaries were to increase one more time from 2013 – to 1.25 and 2.3-fold, yet this increase is not included in the adopted draft. However, the doctors have already signed new contracts based on the signed memorandum which contains even this third increase.
“Only salaries of very few doctors will increase as of January 1, 2012,” says Kollar. Salaries of more doctors will increase in July, yet he considers this to be only a symbolic rise by 100-300 euros. “That’s why the third phase was so important for us,” explained the LOZ head.
The bill also amends the Labor Code with extending the number of subjects regulated by the Labor Code with medical staff and provides them with extra leave for overtimes exceeding the number of hours allowed by law with financial compensation being one of other alternatives. The memorandum, on the other hand, states that in such case both financial compensation and extra leave should be provided.
SITA