Friday evening, the management of the EpiCURA hospitals present in Ath, Baudour and Hornu announced that a memorandum of understanding had been concluded the same day with the unions (SETCa and CNE).
This protocol is part of the presentation to the works council of the management plan by management aimed at returning to financial equilibrium in 2023, explains management in a press release.
The management plan provides for measures to increase revenue and reduce expenditure in all areas of activity for a total amount of 6 million euros.
No layoffs
Following the four work meetings following the social consultation of January 11, 2023, management and worker representatives agreed on several points this Friday (the main ones being the following):
– No redundancies will be made under the management plan.
– To meet the immediate needs of the field, management undertakes to propose, by February 15, contract extensions or increases in working time, until April 30, 2023, for a volume of 15 FTEs (5 per site) who will be assigned to the care units in difficulty.
– The management is committed to continuing its policy of recruiting nursing staff in the form of permanent contracts.
– The establishment of a working group aimed at optimizing the schedules of the care units to meet expectations (fewer days worked, long breaks) with a deadline of the end of February 2023.
– A better distribution of leave and training in order to avoid an excessive volume of employees not present in the field.
– The establishment of a second working group to define an absenteeism prevention policy with a deadline of the end of June 2023.
All of these measures aim to guarantee the permanence of two caregivers at night, 7 days a week in the geriatrics, medicine, rehabilitation units, and of two caregivers 4 nights out of 7 in the surgery units.
The unions undertake not to take any action on February 1, and to invest in the working groups in order to meet the deadlines set.
SETCa remains vigilant
“We will nevertheless remain vigilant, we will support the savings plan”, underlines for his part Patrick Salvi, regional secretary SETCa, contacted this Saturday. “There will be an evaluation.”
If in the end no action is planned for February 1 in EpiCURA hospitals, the sites will nevertheless be affected – like many other hospitals – this January 31 as part of the strike and the national demonstration of the sector. non-market. In Mons-Borinage, pickets should take up position in front of several hospitals on Tuesday, where the staff will work like a Sunday.
