The Force Ouvrière union held a gathering this Tuesday in front of the cafeteria of Pasteur 2 hospital to protest against the reform of sickness benefits. FO condemns the measures perceived as an attack on the fundamental rights of healthcare workers, and a policy of “false economies.”
Faced with these measures, which primarily aim to reduce compensation for the first three months of sick leave and increase the waiting period to three days, many healthcare workers are outraged. Michel Fuentes, FO’s departmental secretary, denounces what he calls “false economies. If I take a three-day leave and lose 30% of my salary, I might as well be off for ten days”, he explains, fearing that these salary cuts would only exacerbate absenteeism. According to him, the reform does not consider the reality of healthcare workers’ working conditions. “We work in extremely harsh conditions, which are conducive to health problems. We take care of everyone; we need to be taken care of too.”
He also brings up the critical staff shortages across all services. During the discussions, hospital staff explain that recruitment, already arduous, will become even more difficult with these new measures. While petitions circulate to protect healthcare workers’ rights, Force Ouvrière – Public Services and Health of the Alpes-Maritimes commits to reaching out to MPs and striking if the reforms persist. Nationally, the FO and CGT unions are calling for a general strike.
Challenging working conditions
Among the testimonies gathered near the stand, Omar, employed at a hospital branch, expressed the sentiment of many agents facing the loss of social rights: “We, who are in direct contact with the sick and the dying and have a tremendous workload, should not have to lose our social benefits.”
He even recounts that some sick colleagues come to work to avoid losing income. According to him, several healthcare workers in his sector have already turned to the private sector due to insufficient salaries to live in a big city like Nice.
As the clock strikes noon, some hospital workers briefly greet their colleagues at the stand. Some of them, required to stay on duty, haven’t been able to take even an hour of strike. Nevertheless, they support the union’s action by displaying “heartfelt striker” labels on their gowns.
“The lack of staff even prevents us from taking an hour of strike,” a nurse ironically shares before returning to service.
Rémi Sauvat
