Estonia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Medicine, Strike

The Estonian Hospitals Union convened for Friday the representatives of the Doctors' Union, Healthcare Workers Vocational Union, Family Doctors' Association, Nurses' Union, Healthcare Workers Trade Unions' Confederation and Emergency Medical Care Union to negotiate the wage increase that the Health Insurance Fund offered on Thursday, Äripäev,ee/LETA reports.

"We will convene all parties representing healthcare workers, we hope to reach a reasonable result that would enable to end the strike and restore the access of patients to medical care," said Hospitals' Union head Urmas Sule.

The council of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (HIF) decided on Thursday that it offers doctors the wage increase they want but spread over two years if the medical staff ended their strike at once. HIF gave powers to the Hospitals Union to negotiate a corresponding collective labour contract.

The Estonian Doctors Union and Healthcare Workers Vocational Union launched a strike concerning outpatient services in larger hospitals in Tallinn and Tartu last Monday, demanding a major wage increase and measures from the state that would stop doctors and nurses leaving from Estonia and the Estonian healthcare system falling apart. This Monday, the strike was expanded to inpatient care in these hospitals and several county hospitals joined the strike.