Rabat, Morocco: On Monday 27 May, the National Coordination of Health Sector Unions announced a series of four strikes, all lasting 72 hours, from 28 May to 27 June.
An unprecedented escalation:
The new strikes come as an unprecedented escalation by the unions, just four days after a previous strike on 22 and 23 May.
Accusing the government of indifference:
In a statement issued by the coordination, the government was accused of an ‘eerie silence’ towards the agreements concluded with the unions and ignoring their demands, four months after the end of the sectoral social dialogue and what was agreed upon with the government committee on improving material and moral conditions.
Dissatisfaction with the government’s contradictory rhetoric:
The unions also expressed their dissatisfaction with the ‘duplicity of the government’s rhetoric’ which claims to want a deep reform of the health system and universal medical coverage, while ignoring ‘the main pillar of the reform, namely health employees, and ignoring their evaluation and incentives.’
The government is responsible for the suffering of citizens:
The Coordination considers that the government is harming citizens by creating this social conflict, disrupting health services and increasing the suffering of patients.
Unions’ demands:
The unions demand to:
Implementation of the agreements and minutes signed with them in both material and legal aspects.
Preserve all the rights and gains of health professionals, including:
Public sector employment status
Management of salaries from the public budget
All the guarantees of the general statute of the public service
The programme of strikes:
28-30 May: Strike in all health institutions in the Kingdom.
4-6 June: Strike in university hospitals.
11-13 June: Strike in university hospital centres.
18-20 June: Strike in regional hospitals and hospital centres.
National march in Rabat:
A national march will be organised in Rabat (from Bab El Had to the Parliament) after Eid al-Adha.
Boycott reports and meetings:
Escalation steps also include boycotting health programme reports, campaigns, and meetings with the administration.
A deep crisis that requires an urgent solution:
These strikes reflect the depth of the crisis in Morocco’s health sector and cast a shadow over the future of this vital sector.
The need for serious dialogue and negotiation:
Now more than ever, it is necessary for the government to initiate a serious dialogue with the unions in order to find quick and fair solutions that meet the demands of health workers and ensure the continued provision of quality health services to citizens.
From the website: Fez News