The inter-union of speech therapists has called for a national strike movement this Thursday. Salary revaluation, training, abandonment of private practices… the demands are numerous.
This Thursday, speech therapists will take to the streets. In Nice, a sit-in will be organized on the forecourt of the faculty of medicine from 12 PM to 2 PM. Students and employees will be accompanied by some healthcare professionals. For two hours, practitioners will mainly focus on raising public awareness about the difficulties faced in their profession.
Often overlooked during demonstrations initiated by medical employees, this profession also suffers from a profound lack of recognition. First, financially, the inter-union denounces a salary range varying from “€1,706 to €2,230 gross at the start of a career, and insufficient career progression under the various agreements.” Since 2013, university training in speech therapy has been elevated to the master’s level. However, “for 10 years, the responses provided have been absolutely inadequate to recognize the initial training level of a 5-year degree, nor the level of expertise and autonomy of speech therapists. It remains impossible to resolve the lack of attractiveness of salaried positions,” the unions lament.
They also highlight a problem with the renewal of generations of speech therapists: “This shortage of speech therapists also has direct consequences for speech therapy students: they no longer have internship placements. This jeopardizes their training and deprives them of essential clinical opportunities, thus threatening their future ability to provide quality care to their patients,” they continue.
A government response is expected
Another issue highlighted is the shortage of staff in hospitals and medico-social structures. A situation that directly impacts private practices, which often find themselves overburdened. As a result, waiting lists are getting longer in private practices, which are forced to make choices based on the urgency of the situation.
Now, sector professionals are expecting “concrete responses” from the government.
