France's emergency doctors stop strike after 'historic' deal
Emergency doctors who began a strike yesterday have called it off after just one day, after reaching what they say is an “historic agreement” with the government.
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“We have decided to end the call out from today,” said Patrick Pelloux, of Amuf, France’s emergency doctors’ association.
Under the new agreement, agreed with Health Minister Marisol Touraine on Monday evening, emergency doctors will now work a maximum of 48 hours per week, instead of the 60 hours currently worked by some.
Any hours worked above 38 hours per week will be paid as overtime, at a rate to be negotiated in further talks scheduled for January.
However the President of the French Hospital Federation, which represents the employers in French hospitals, yesterday denounced what he said he had heard about the accord reached.
He said French hospitals will now be faced with a 90 million euro bill and he suggested that the health minister had panicked and given in to the emergency doctors’ demands too readily.
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