Croatian Healthcare Workers Announce Strike

The news in Croatian

1. sindikat (m.)
   Organizacija radnika koja se bavi zaštitom njihovih radnih prava i interesa. ↩︎
2. sindikat (m.)
   Organizacija radnika koja se bavi zaštitom njihovih radnih prava i interesa. ↩︎
3. štrajk (m.)
   Organizirana obustava rada radnika u svrhu ostvarivanja svojih zahtjeva. ↩︎
4. neuspješan
   Koji nije postigao željeni rezultat ili cilj. ↩︎
5. pregovor (m.)
   Definiran razgovor između dvije strane s ciljem postizanja dogovora. ↩︎
6. koeficijent (m.)
   Čimbenik koji množi neki broj ili veličinu. ↩︎
7. kvalifikacija (f.)
   Sposobnosti i vještine potrebne za neki posao. ↩︎
8. štrajk (m.)
   Organizirana obustava rada radnika u svrhu ostvarivanja svojih zahtjeva. ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: Why are the healthcare workers in Croatia planning to go on strike?

Question: What does the union want to change regarding salaries?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
sindikat (m.)	union
štrajk (m.)	strike
neuspješan	unsuccessful
pregovor (m.)	negotiation
koeficijent (m.)	coefficient
kvalifikacija (f.)	qualification

Read the full story

The proposed industrial action threatens to disrupt various medical services across the country, particularly affecting diagnostic procedures. If the strike proceeds, it is expected that patients will face substantial delays in receiving crucial medical tests like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests, as these services would be suspended except for emergency cases.

Krunoslav Kušec, the president of Sindikat Zajedno, emphasized that their demands are both realistic and transparent, focusing on salary increases based on professional qualifications. Kušec stated that the current situation leaves healthcare workers feeling undervalued and marginalized. “Negotiations have been ongoing since March, yet no agreement has been reached,” Kušec noted, expressing that the union remains open to dialogue if the ministry offers to discuss their terms.

Despite these efforts, attempts to resolve the matter through mediation with the Health Ministry have stalled. The Ministry, under the leadership of State Secretary Tomislav Dulibić, maintains that a strike is unnecessary, citing a substantial salary increment of over 30% in the past year. This year alone, more than 400 million euros have reportedly been allocated to pay raises in the healthcare sector, a point Dulibić referenced to argue against the need for further industrial action.

The potential strike has raised concerns about the impact on the already burdened public healthcare system, which could witness prolonged waiting times for critical services. However, the Ministry assures that essential services will continue, aiming to alleviate public concern over the impending disruptions.

Amid this backdrop of conflicting views, healthcare workers argue that their compensation does not reflect their responsibilities, invoking comparisons to other public sector salaries and questioning the distribution of funds for healthcare needs. Vladimir Markuš, a leader within the sanitary transport department, echoed the union’s stance, highlighting pay disparities that have accumulated over a decade.

As both sides continue to hold firm positions, the healthcare industry in Croatia stands at a crossroads, with all eyes on whether a last-minute agreement can be reach to avert what might be one of the most significant strikes in the sector’s history.

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