The independent healthcare union has announced a strike if the government does not accept their demands

AUTHOR: M.J.
The independent health union of Montenegro will launch a general health strike on January 29 if the government does not meet their demands by then. They are asking for better conditions for mid-level medical staff, i.e. that, among other things, their salaries be increased by 17 percent...
They are supposed to talk with the representatives of the Government on January 16, Tuesday, and they announced today at the conference that "from this moment they will start a warning strike".
As estimated, 10 to 12 million euros should be set aside annually for their requests.
Union representatives commented that, for example, the average salary of a nurse is 620 euros, that they had previously received a 30 percent increase, but that the 34 percent inflation made that increase meaningless. They are asking for a 17 percent salary increase. In addition, they require increases in some other items, such as on-call, night work...which would be felt by all employees. If there is a general strike, citizens will feel the consequences, because services will be provided only in emergency cases. If, for example, an operation is not urgent, it will not be performed, some union representatives explained to journalists.
The president of the Independent Health Union, Dr. Mihailo Babović, said at the conference that they have support from representatives of health centers, general hospitals, the Clinical Center, Fund, Montefarm, and that 70 to 80 percent of employees are dissatisfied with the current conditions in which they work.
He said that he will always give priority to negotiations with the Government, before starting a strike.
The General Secretary of the SSCG, Duško Zarubica, said that they held meetings with the representatives of the new government, but that they have not seen any results in the area of health care. He protested that the Law was passed earlier in the public sector without the consent of union representatives.
Certain political groups used that law to buy voters for future elections. As it occurred to a member of parliament, that act was changed - he said.
He pointed out that they are only looking for the elimination of injustice, and that the Branch Collective Agreement must be harmonized with the General Collective Agreement. He also said that they were "backed up against the wall" and that they had to use the strike as a means to achieve their goals.