Health workers in HNK preparing for strike: Only emergencies will be treated

(Patria) - The president of the Trade Union of Health Workers of the University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Ivica Anić, warned that a general strike in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is inevitable, and the exact date will be known when all trade unions send the employer an agreement on jobs that cannot be interrupted.

"Only emergency cases will be treated. Specialist examinations and similar services will be suspended – and there will be a collapse. We have been warning about this for months, and the responsibility will lie with the Minister of Health Milenko Bevanda, the Minister of Finance Adil Šuta, and the Prime Minister Marija Buhač," said Anić.

He added that it is shameful that the Government has not yet submitted any offer to the Trade Union, although they expected a different approach.

"They discriminate against health workers – they increase the salary for one part of the trade unions, give them the right to severance pay, while offering nothing to the other. At the last meeting, when we asked them if they had anything to offer, they clearly answered – we are giving you nothing."

Speaking about the increase in coefficients, Anić emphasized that the trade unions are ready for compromise, but that the Government persistently ignores them.

He asked citizens for understanding and patience, emphasizing that this is a fight against discrimination, a fight for everyone – including the patients themselves:

"If the Government really cared about these people, they would have already given and signed an annex to the collective agreement. If nothing else, they would at least show willingness. But, clearly, none of that matters to them.''

Around 4,000 health workers could go on protest.