Agadir 24 | Agadir24
Public hospitals and health services, with the exception of emergency and resuscitation departments, will begin a comprehensive strike lasting for two days at the national level, starting today, Thursday, within the framework of the steps approved by the national union coordination in the health sector, which also includes implementing a national landing in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. Accompanied by a march towards Parliament, the date of which will be announced later.
These steps come within the framework of the coordination’s expression of its rejection of what it called “evasiveness and evasion of obligations” in the draft Finance Law 2025 in Chapter Two related to the cost provisions of the general budget, specifically paragraph 3 of Article 23 thereof.
In this context, the National Union Coordination in the Health Sector considered that “the developments brought by the Finance Law contradict and violate the first essential point of the July 23, 2024 agreement, which is preserving the status of an employee and centralizing wages.”
The coordination stressed that “this dangerous and regressive proposal by the government has caused great tension and anger in the health sector, especially since it violates and contradicts what the government pledged and committed to in the agreement of July 23, 2024, as it was the first point that the government committed to implementing.”
National union coordination in the health sector put the ministry in front of two options: either respond to the demands or engage in an “escalatory struggle program,” which includes “boycotting the implementation of all health programs and boycotting their reports, boycotting mobile units and medical convoys, and boycotting the surgical operations program, with the exception of urgent ones.”
In addition, the coordination waved “a boycott of specialized medical examinations in hospitals, a boycott of revenue collection operations for invoices for services provided, and all operations of a purely administrative nature.”
In response to this issue, the Secretary-General of the National Health Union affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labor, Mustafa El-Shenawy, revealed that the announced escalation program comes in condemnation of the retreat from the agreement of last July 23.
El-Shenawy explained, during a press conference held by the aforementioned union coordination on Thursday, that the unions “have no problem with the newly appointed minister,” adding, “Any minister we would deal with the same way he deals with the sector, does he want to reform the sector and is jealous of the human resources that Is it the foundation of any reform or not?
Coinciding with the trade union coordination symposium, dozens of professionals affiliated with the National University of Health, affiliated with the Moroccan Labor Union, came to protest in front of the headquarters of the Moroccan Parliament, demanding amendments to the 2025 draft finance law to ensure the implementation of the aforementioned commitment.
It should be noted that Paragraph 3 of Article 23 of the draft Finance Law 2025 stipulates that: “Contrary to the provisions in force, registered employees, trainees, as well as contract employees working in the decentralized services of the Ministry in charge of health and who are automatically transferred to the territorial health groups in accordance with the provisions of the law, continue to work.” No. 08.22 updated thereto, in receiving their wages from the general budget, until December 31 of the fiscal year during which they are transferred. For this purpose, the financial positions held by those concerned shall remain open until the aforementioned date. Starting from January 1 of the following fiscal year, those concerned will be appointed by the group to which they are transferred, and the aforementioned financial positions will be deleted.
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**Interview with Mustafa El-Shenawy, Secretary-General of the National Health Union**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Mr. El-Shenawy. There’s been quite a stir within the healthcare sector following the draft Finance Law for 2025. Can you elaborate on the core issues that have led to the nationwide strike and protests?
**Mustafa El-Shenawy:** Thank you for having me. The primary issue at hand is the government’s decision to eliminate designated financial posts for healthcare staff in the draft Finance Law 2025. This move, in our view, undermines the commitments made in the July 23, 2024 agreement, which aimed at protecting employee status and ensuring fair wages. We see this as a direct attack on the hard work and dedication of healthcare professionals in Morocco.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned the July agreement. How does the current proposal contradict this agreement?
**Mustafa El-Shenawy:** The July agreement was centered around preserving the status of healthcare employees and centralizing their wages. The government’s recent actions, particularly with regards to the Finance Law, go against these foundational commitments. This contradiction has understandably caused heightened frustration and anger within our ranks, prompting us to take decisive action, including strikes.
**Interviewer:** What specific actions are you and your colleagues taking to express your discontent?
**Mustafa El-Shenawy:** As part of our organized response, we have initiated a two-day nationwide strike affecting all public hospitals, except for emergencies. Moreover, we are prepared to escalate our actions if our demands go unanswered, which includes boycotting all health programs and urgent procedures and potentially halting all non-emergency services.
**Interviewer:** What demands are you specifically putting forth to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection?
**Mustafa El-Shenawy:** We have outlined clear demands: first, we want the Ministry to reaffirm its commitment to the July agreement, particularly around financial stability for healthcare workers. Second, we demand a transparent dialogue regarding our concerns. If these demands are not met, we will escalate our actions further, which could have significant implications for healthcare services across the country.
**Interviewer:** If the situation doesn’t improve, how do you foresee this affecting healthcare services in Morocco?
**Mustafa El-Shenawy:** If our concerns are not addressed, we are looking at a potential disruption of healthcare services nationally. This would mean patients may face delays in receiving care, and essential programs may be severely impacted. Our goal is not to harm the public but to advocate for the rights and recognition of healthcare workers who play a crucial role in serving the Moroccan population.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for your insights, Mr. El-Shenawy. We hope for a resolution that benefits both healthcare workers and the community at large.
**Mustafa El-Shenawy:** Thank you for shining a light on this important issue. Our goal is a better healthcare system for everyone involved.
