The Ministry of Health opened another technical dialogue table to discuss the salary increase to the health, this time with the National San Juan de Dios Union, which raises Q2 thousand of increase, one thousand more than what the portfolio proposes.
To demand the fulfillment of five points, the union affiliates announced two days of mobilizations in different roads of the country. The promise of dialogue with the Ministry caused the blockages of this Wednesday, April 2 at 11.30 am and that the scheduled for Thursday were canceled.
However, the risk that, in two weeks Health does not present a proposal that satisfies their demands, the trade unionists retake the measures, according to Carlos Noé Santos Urías, general secretary of the National San Juan de Dios National Union.
What is the demand that leads them to manifest in the streets?
The main one is the compliance with article 140. We are already in April and this does not advance. The other is that a proposal from the Ministry of Health was made public that does not meet the expectations of workers. An increase of Q1 thousand is proposed for those in dependency relationship and a single bonus of Q2 thousand for those who do not have that relationship, and that in May will begin the transfer of contractors to Plazas 011.
We are not clear about the transfer of professionals to a professional place. We are concerned with the payment of the student scholarship for the Epesists. Our request is to improve the proposal made by the Ministry.
Did the Ministry of Health present the proposal of the increase of Q1 thousand?
No. We learned through citations in Congress and through a deputy who announced the proposal of the Ministry of Health. We insist to the ministry to tell us how the increase would work, how much it proposed. We deliver our proposals. We had an approach with Minister Joaquín Barnoya, in which we indicated that the minimum we expected were Q2 thousand 500 for the partners in a dependency relationship and two bonds of Q3 thousand 500 for those who do not have that relationship. We also express that we were willing to dialogue.
What is the midpoint of increase between your proposal and the one presented by the Ministry of Health?
One of the conditions that the Ministry’s proposal should have is that the economic incentive for workers in a dependency relationship is affected by discounts, to be taken into account in the benefits. As the ministry raises, we understand that it will not be considered for retirement, Bonus 14 or the bonus.
Our proposal is what we would expect. We have done technical and budgetary studies so that the Ministry’s budget is not affected in direct care to the patient or in the purchase of medicines. But we are open to dialogue to receive a counterpart.
The midpoint could be between Q1 thousand 800 and Q2 thousand, and we believe that the Ministry can grant it.
They learned about the health proposal through citations in the Congress of the Republic. How would you qualify the communication of the ministry with the workers?
The proposal was no time agreed, nor was a trade union organization cited to tell us “this is what could be granted”, the Q1 thousand. There was a communication deficiency, because they did not take us into account as workers. They assumed that we were going to accept that amount, and it has been evidenced that it is not so. The mobilizations of the different groups have something in common: the rejection of the ministry’s proposal.
Why ask for a salary increase and a bonus?
In the ministry there is no salary policy. There are multiple salary scales in the different executing units. For example, in the capital, a nurse can win Q5 thousand, but in Escuintla, Q3 thousand, even performing the same functions. Salaries are disparate.
The most affected sector is line 036, whose payment, according to the Ministry of Health itself, does not constitute a salary, but a stipend, and does not even reach the minimum wage. In some departments, certain directors of executing units distribute a salary of Q5 thousand between two people, assigning each Q2 thousand 500, amount lower than the minimum wage.
What work does the staff 036?
They are workers who supply what was previously 1, which the Ministry eliminated. They perform field and operational work. In this group are the community facilitators, who arrive at the communities and are in charge of programs such as descacharization, abatization, weight and stature control, and nutrition. There is no precise statistic about how many they are, but they perform an important function in the communities. It is essential to recognize them as workers and, at least, receive the minimum wage.
Are they who would receive the bonus of Q3 thousand 500?
Yes, those in line 036. They gain less than the minimum wage, especially in the departments. In some locations there are also colleagues from subgroup 18 who receive less than the minimum, since the Ministry extends a civil contract and treats them as if they were a company: they must bill, submit reports, comply with a schedule and assume established powers. They have no right to Aguinaldo, Bono 14, Vacation or Social Security.
How many workers are in line 036?
There are 2 thousand workers, as reported by the Ministry, although there is a sub -registration, since in many units five are reported, but in reality there are 10. This personnel are not allowed to participate in the transfer to a 011 square.
Will the demonstrations continue for this April 3, as they had announced?
No, then one of the points was already fulfilled by the Ministry: the installation of the dialogue table. The workers do not agree with the proposal, and that is why we go out today (Wednesday, April 2). The mobilizations were peaceful and did not harm the population. But tomorrow (Thursday, April 3) we will not have activity at any point.
Is establishing a dialogue table a dilatory measure to meet your requests?
Could be. This is based on a relationship of trust. We know that it might not be fulfilled and becoming a dilatory measure. If that were the case, subsequent actions could be more forceful.
How long will they give in the deadline for the issue of salary increase to be resolved?
We hope after Easter. The deadline is until mid -April, when at least an improved proposal should be submitted.
We are giving that vote of confidence and we hope they do not disappoint us. Otherwise, we would return to the facts, with the blockages that have already been announced.