Finance Minister Darko Radunović said that the doctors' requests for salary increases are justified, but that the percentages that were preliminarily announced by the union seem too high and unrealistic to him.
Today, at the consultative hearing on the topic "Position and socio-economic status of healthcare workers in Montenegro" in the Parliament, he said that he will observe this issue with great attention and try to support the requests in accordance with the budget for the next year.
"The demands are justified, but I'm afraid that the union's expectations are unrealistic," Radunović said.
Minister of Health Kenan Hrapović said that better standards of employees in health care is at the top of his priorities and that he strongly supports salary increases.
"The period behind us is a period of fiscal consolidation. Now we are in intensive negotiations and we expect that the increase is certain. It is up to the Government and the representative unions to find a model. The negotiations are going in the right direction that will result in an increase in wages," Hrapović said.
Member of Parliament of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Draginja Vuksanović Stanković, said that the salaries of healthcare workers in August amounted to an average of 566 euros.
"It is unacceptable that the salary of a specialist doctor is lower than that of the deputy head of the prime minister's office," said Vuksanović.
The director of the Health Insurance Fund, Sead Čirgić, agrees with this, as he assessed that without a healthy nation, there is no healthy economy.
"A good surgeon must have the highest salary in the country. Higher than any official. The net salary of a doctor, which includes supplementary work and standby, is on average 952,77 euros, while the average salary of nurses is 497", said Čirgić.
He believes that the coefficients for doctors and other health workers should be corrected and that the best model should be sought to reward those who do the most complex jobs and on the largest scale.
The president of the Independent Health Trade Union, Ljiljana Krivokapić, assessed that wages, by joint efforts, must be increased by at least 30 percent and that they have the possibility of union struggle if this is not the case.
She pointed out that the union headed by her has 4.500 health workers and that 25.000 people are waiting to be told if they will restore their dignity.
"We ask that an increase be planned so that the coefficient for the subspecialist will be 18, as well as for the judge of the basic court," said Krivokapić.
And the president of the Health Trade Union at the Union of Free Trade Unions, Vladimir Pavićević, said that the average salary in health care, without additional work, is lower than the average in the country.
"I think it is completely clear that there must be a significant increase," said Pavićević.
The President of the Union of Medical Doctors, Milena Popović Samardžić, said that no one keeps official records of the extent to which doctors leave the country, pointing out that in four years, about 150 doctors left Montenegro.
"If you don't have 10 or 15 million for the next year, which is a little better house, to increase the salaries of doctors, then prepare to provide 50 million more in the following years for treatment outside the country and bringing doctors from abroad," said Popović Samardžić.
Members of Parliament, members of the Health, Labor and Social Welfare Committee, agree that salaries in health care must be higher.
Member of Parliament of the Democratic Front (DF), Branka Bošnjak, said that doctors used to be role models in society, as well as university professors, but that the system now favors "some other people".
"We deputies can increase the salary and influence the budget," Bošnjak said.
Deputy of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Halil Duković assessed that salaries must be increased and that a young doctor, who starts working with a salary of 500 or 600 euros, will not be stimulated to stay in the country.
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