The French government and medical unions on Monday signed off on a deal to boost the pay of hospital staff, after they were hailed as heroes during the coronavirus epidemic.
The “historic” deal would involve an extra 7.6 billion euros (8.6 billion dollars) yearly, Health Minister Olivier Veran said.
Some 1.5 million workers would get net raises of 183 euros monthly, and pay scales for some groups, such as nurses and nursing aides, would also be revised, Veran said.
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President Emmanuel Macron promised in March to come up with “a massive plan” to invest in hospitals and better reward health professionals once the epidemic was over.
The president got a heated reception from staff on several visits to hospitals during the crisis.
Many emergency departments had been on strike for months, complaining of poor facilities, low pay for some staff and lack of funding.
The group behind the strike at emergency departments has already rejected the latest deal as inadequate and is calling for a protest in Paris on Tuesday, France’s national holiday.
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