At the end of their patience after a year of discussions with the government, the interns filed a 24-hour strike notice for Monday, November 17. In question: the “illegal” working time in the hospital.
The anger of interns in medicine does not weaken! Feeling despised by the government after more than a year of discussions, the InterSyndicat National des Internes (ISNI) has decided to issue a strike notice for Monday, November 17, 2014. It concerns all the activities of interns, for a period of time. 24h. This decision follows an inconclusive meeting on Thursday, October 16 with the general direction of the healthcare offer (DGOS). why actor returns to the subject of “illegal” working time imposed on interns (and hospital practitioners).
60 hours per week on average
In a Press release published a few days ago, the ISNI wrote: “After the warning shots from the European Commission, and after dozens of” consultation “meetings, the Ministry of Health arrived this Thursday with a text proposal unenforceable and dangerous for interns. The InterSyndicat is not fooled by the ministerial balancing act trying not to change anything in the working time of interns while trying to meet, on paper, the demands of Brussels. “
He adds: “With its sleight of hand on the subject of working time (proposal of a 15-minute break per half-day!), The Ministry despises interns”
As a reminder, according to a survey conducted by ISNI in 2012, an intern works an average of 60 hours per week. Other studies indicate that more than 65% of interns on hospital placements work more than 50 hours per week. Finally, in some extreme cases, interns can even do up to 90 hours per week for an emergency or surgery internship, for example.
“Illegal” working conditions since French hospitals must normally respect (with hospital practitioners) a working period of 48 hours per week fixed by the European directive (2003/88 / EC).
“ A denial of social justice “, for interns
And on this subject, the European Commission is closely monitoring France. In a reasoned opinion last March, it indicated very clearly that France “does not take into account all the hours actually worked (…) whereas the aforementioned directive requires that (the periods of overtime and the hours of lessons) be taken into account. like working time ”.
But despite this warning launched by Brussels, the text proposed by the Ministry of Health today “ does not count as working time all the service obligations of interns. Besides the fact that this proposal is “illegal”, it risks having a serious impact on the quality of the training of future health professionals. “, once again deplores the ISNI.
The interns’ proposals
ISNI therefore asks that a round of negotiations begin, without delay – with the representatives of the interns contesting the proposed text – concerning in particular the system of on-call duty and on-call duty.
Especially since these interns have very clear proposals to make regarding the compliance of French law concerning working time in the hospital.
Among them, the passage from 11 to 10 half-days of weekly work from Monday morning to Friday evening, the sanctification of the 2 half-days of training counted as working time, or the remuneration of any additional half-day of work. .
Finally, these interns plead for a review of the status of the operational on-call for interns, but also “ for the possibility of sanctions against health establishments that do not respect the rights of residents. ”
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