With a 24-hour strike, the doctors of the Canary Islands on Thursday joined protests against cuts in public health implemented by several regions of the country to reduce the deficit.
Some 25,000 health workers were called to support the strike to oppose a a cut of 50 million euros in personnel costs in the 2012 Budget and an increase of two and half working hours per week.
The five unions that organized the strike claimed the planned adjustment measures of the regional government will result in a workforce reduction of 2,000 people.
According to them, with such measures, the local government would not be able to maintain the public health service of the archipelago in an acceptable quality, which is already eroded by successive cuts of the last two years.
The unions expressed their willingness to negotiate without conditions, including an increase of working hours, as far as the island authorities will undertake not to reduce the staff.
The local government denied that layoffs will occur, and guaranteed the maintenance of “the organic staff” which includes permanent and temporary members, but admitted fewer replacement contracts will be taken because of the additional work hours required.
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