The Minister of Health indicated that the first recommendations on the future of midwives will be announced before the end of 2013. The profession continues the strike.
“Midwives want something concrete! This is in substance the comments made by Caroline Raquin, president of the ONSSF (1), during the GA which followed the first interministerial meeting on the future of the profession. And obviously, the midwives came out disappointed with this meeting with the Minister of Health. Indeed, despite a month of strike in maternity hospitals to demand, in particular a status of hospital practitioner, Marisol Touraine is still not giving up. The only announcement from the government is the launch of work on recognizing the role and place of midwives in the health system. Nothing concrete, for the trade unions.
The question of wages swept away
For example, on the issue of salary increases the midwifery unions are still unhappy. After having provoked the anger of the big central labor unions last week (CGT, CFDT, FO, Unsa and SUD), with the proposal of an increase of 100 euros per month more per midwife, Marisol Touraine this time preferred sidestepped the issue of wages. “The statute of the hospital public service considers us as bac + 3, but we are paid as bac + 2 and a half, with not even the basic salary which corresponds to a license level. The worst thing is that in reality, we have a bac + 5, with a first year of medicine and a four-year training course that follows to become a midwife ”, however recently explained Caroline Raquin, president of the ONSSF. in an interview with why actor.
The question of medical status still not resolved
Moreover, for Nicolas Dutriaux, of the National College of Midwives, contacted by AFP, the essential question of “status” has also not been decided. These health professionals are notably demanding recognition, by finally achieving the status of hospital practitioner. Indeed, even if the latter exercise a medical profession, they have always had the status of “paramedical”.
However, on this point, still nothing, “even if a plenary meeting is to be held by the end of December, and answers must be found on the status,” said Nicolas Dutriaux.
The group of midwives, for its part, would like those who work in the hospital to leave the status of the hospital public service to integrate a medical status, on the model of hospital practitioners (doctors), in order to be better recognized. .
As a result, even though we still do not know the government’s position on this point, the Minister has nevertheless left a glimmer of hope in the profession. While leaving, it is true, the two options open, “either an exit from the statute of the hospital public service, or a maintenance.” We will work to see what the consequences of the two possibilities would be, ”explained Nicolas Dutriaux.
The status of patrician of first resort acquired
Finally, the group also demands that liberal midwives be better identified as first-resort practitioner, that is to say the first health professional to which women can have access for their gynecological follow-up, such as gynecologists. In any case during normal pregnancies, that is to say without underlying pathologies that can complicate pregnancy.
“The Minister made a very coherent speech in relation to what we are asking on this, namely how to make women more easily oriented towards us,” said Mr. Dutriaux, deeming this point “acquired”.
Either way, midwives are still not satisfied. For this reason, “they are always very determined! », Said Caroline Raquin at the end of the GA organized this afternoon with the profession. The latter, for example, launched: “15 gynecos per 100,000 women. One solution: midwives. A strong and fast political decision! », She concluded. As a result of this discussion, the strike continues in the maternity hospitals. And with a strike rate of nearly 70% in the profession (with liberal midwives), the disturbances in maternity hospitals are already being strongly felt!
(1) National Trade Union Organization of Midwives
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