Health Minister Michalis Damianou issued an appeal on Wednesday to public sector doctors’ unions for “reason to prevail,” in light of their announced 48-hour strike next week.
Speaking after a meeting with representatives from the PASYKI and PASYDY unions, as well as OKYPY and PIS, the Health Minister emphasized that “the public needs stability and consistency in health services,” underscoring that “health is a fundamental right of citizens, and its protection must be everyone’s priority.”
Minister Damianou noted that during the meeting, he listened carefully to the positions of all parties and subsequently presented his proposal, which he described as “a good proposal.”
The proposal included compensation for 2023 and 2024, conditional on reaching an agreement following discussions for the years 2025-2027.
According to the Minister, “the aim of the proposal was to achieve a long-term agreement that would ensure labor peace in public hospitals.”
“Unfortunately, the unions rejected the proposal submitted by the Ministry, citing demands that could not be met,” Damianou stated.
Specifically, he explained that the unions demanded €9 million for the years 2023 and 2024 as a condition to discuss the period from 2025-2027.
He reminded that “the €2.5 million for 2023 was based on an independent audit study, which all parties agreed upon last July and committed to accepting the outcome of the study, whether it was positive or negative.”
Expressing his regret over the doctors’ decision and the direction the situation is taking, he added, “It is hard for the public to understand why the path of strikes is chosen in the sensitive sector of healthcare. I appeal for reason to prevail. The public needs stability and consistency in health services. I remind everyone that health is a fundamental right of citizens, and its protection must be our shared priority.”
He stressed that “strikes and mobilizations are not the solution; they only worsen the situation for citizens who already depend on our services.”
Concluding, he said, “The solution lies in dialogue and cooperation. Only through this approach can we find sustainable solutions to problems without creating new ones.”
Source: CNA
