Nurses call 48 strike for better pay

NURSES in government hospitals across Panama were scheduled to stop work for 48 hours starting at midnight on Monday, April 22 to demand better wages.

 Elidya Espinosa, president of the National Nurses Association, said the nurses had waited for two years for a response to their pay scale application and requests on some working conditions. She called for serious negotiations with the authorities of the Social Security Fund and the Ministries of Health and Finance.

The strike will be supported by all regional chapters of the Association. The suspension of work had already been approved on Thursday April 18 and was ratified on Tuesday.
They have also requested fair treatment for the various professionals working in the health sector.
The National Nurses Association has requested $1,500 for its unionized wage, but, say they know the importance of negotiation.
The response received from the authorities is that this request is not feasible. "That's what they are saying now, to a proposal that we presented a long while back," said Espinosa.