Hospital Strikes

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Price 60p (including postage) from For four weeks now staff in medical wards in Lyons hospitals have been striking for improvements in staffing complements.

The movement began in the Neurology Hospital and has since spread to three other major hospitals in the city. So far the main effect of the strike has been to reduce the number of ward beds in use, but strikers have taken care not to threaten the health of existing patients. According to them there is a minimum service in operation, similar to the level that might be available at weekends.

The strikers, who include an important proportion of non-unionised staff, express concern at the poor state of the medical ward services in most of the city's hospitals. forward three other claims! In addition they for a standardisation of the status of staff in all the medical and casualty services in the city, for an additional bonus and for an extra week's paid leave to compensate for the heavy nature the work.

Today (24 April) the central hospital administration will consider the strikers claims, but even if they give their agreement they will need the approval of the relevant civil service department, which is being pressed by the government to hold down health expenditure.

The deep divisions between French trade unions are coming into play to limit the spread of the strike action.

The CFDT, the socialist orientated federation has expressed support for the action. The Stalinist led CGT however says that it opposes the present form of the movement' , and has continued to attack the CFDT over what it claims is its refusal to denounce Giscard's policy to reduce the health service.

The CFDT rejects this charge and promises to publish a full reply. Meanwhile these divisions prevent the mobilisation of a strike which could be pushed forward against the entire health and pay policy of Giscard and Barre.

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