Doctors’ unions plan campaign to hold Health Ministry to pay rise promises

Doctors’ unions have pledged a new campaign to push the Health Ministry to make good on salary promises. The unions say Health Minister Leoš Heger’s offer of gradual rises for hospital physicians over the course of next year is not enough, and are demanding agreed salary increases as of January. The Health Ministry negotiated a 10% raise for hospital physicians in 2012 in the spring of this year after the doctors threatened mass resignations that would have meant major disruption of the entire health care system. Mr Heger has since decided to provide a 6.25% rise as of January with the rest to come later on. The unions are therefore organising a monthly series of events to hold the ministry to its word. They say they will then decide whether to go further.