8 Morocco health unions strike in gov’t hospitals

Doctors and nurses who form part of eight health unions in Morocco began a five-day strike in government hospitals yesterday, demanding improved working conditions and an increase in wages.

Mohamed Zakiri, secretary general of the National League of Health in Morocco, said: “The strike in which doctors, nurses, and other health sector professionals, representing eight unions, are participating, will last for five days to demand improvement in their working conditions.”

He explained that the strike excludes the emergency and recovery departments and comes after protests organised over the past few months.

On 10 July, police dispersed a protest held by doctors and nurses in front of the parliament headquarters in the capital, Rabat, to demand a raise in their wages.

Zakiri pointed out that the unions “demand that the government respond to them regarding their demands, which include financial and legal matters, especially the increase in wages and demands related to improving pensions.”

There was no comment from the government at the time of going to press.

Last week, the Moroccan government announced a monthly increase in two payments of $100 to the wages of health sector workers. The first payment will be issued this month and the second in July next year.

The government previously announced an increase in the monthly wages of public sector employees last April by 1,000 dirhams ($100), in addition to raising the minimum wage for the private sector by ten per cent.

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