Sanitas suspends the hospital strike but threatens to resume it if the pay law remains unchanged

The Sanitas Trade Union Federation announced on Friday the suspension of the healthcare strike, after three days during which activity was partially disrupted in approximately 500 hospitals across the country. The decision follows what the union considers significant gains, according to statements made by Sanitas Vice-President Răzvan Gae to Adevărul.

Among the victories cited by the union are the recognition of Sanitas as a social dialogue partner, through a ruling by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, the unblocking of over 6,800 positions within the healthcare system, and the acknowledgement by technical teams from the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Health that over 40% of healthcare employees would face pay cuts under the current form of the draft legislation. Gae also mentioned the support received from all trade union confederations.

"As a result of the strike, we achieved several victories. First and foremost, the Bucharest Court of Appeal's ruling recognising us as social dialogue partners. We also secured the unblocking of over 6,800 positions and, in addition, we had yesterday's demonstration with technical teams from the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Health, where it was acknowledged that over 40% of healthcare employees will face pay cuts. Furthermore, we witnessed a trade union coalition forming, as we received the support of all trade union confederations," said Răzvan Gae.

The Sanitas Vice-President noted that throughout the strike, emergency cases were treated as a priority, and the majority of patients showed understanding, with some even sending messages of support.

The strike is suspended, not concluded

Union members emphasise that the protest has not ended but has merely been temporarily halted, and employees will continue to wear armbands until a new draft law is produced. Sanitas is threatening to resume the general strike should the future legislation reach Parliament whilst retaining pay cuts.

"We have only suspended the strike — we haven't switched off the engines. If the current form of the pay legislation is not abandoned and it reaches Parliament in a form that includes pay cuts, we will resume the general strike. We already have indications that some of the red lines invoked by Sanitas will be respected in the new Law, but not all of them. The Government has remained just as obstinate — a dialogue of the deaf. In any case, we are no longer interested in a government that lacks legal legitimacy in drafting the unified pay law. We will not make any compromises with the current Government. With a fully empowered government or with Parliament, we cannot anticipate what compromises we might be willing to make. Compromise comes through negotiation, and so far we have had no negotiation whatsoever — neither at the level of the Health committees in the Chamber of Deputies, nor in the Senate," said Răzvan Gae.

Sanitas stated that its current objective is to negotiate a draft law that is "fairer, more coherent, and more equitable" with a political actor that holds genuine legal decision-making authority — either Parliament or a legitimately appointed government.

Patients with postponed appointments advised to come forward on their own initiative

The President of the National Association for Patient Protection, Vasile Barbu, welcomed the suspension of the strike, noting that every hour of disruption had mattered for patients with appointments for tests that could not be delayed. Barbu called on patients — particularly those with suspected cancer or cardiac conditions — to present themselves at hospital without waiting to be contacted.

"We are pleased about the suspension of the strike because every hour counted enormously for us, as it allowed us to call patients back to hospital — whether for appointments already scheduled for the immediate period ahead, or for cases that could not be postponed, even if they were not emergencies in the strict sense of the word. That said, the three days of strike action have profoundly disrupted the entire system, and the return to normality will be a lengthy process. Ten years ago, recovery took more than a month; a week or ten days ago, it took two to three days for things to begin settling, and even now there are patients who have not yet returned to hospital because, due to staff shortages, no one is contacting them. They must come forward on their own initiative," said Vasile Barbu.

Government accused of lacking legal competence to initiate the legislation

Barbu also stated that, according to legal consultations conducted by the association, neither the Government nor the relevant ministries have the legal competence to initiate or endorse such a piece of legislation.

"We consulted our lawyers and legal experts, who explained to us that numerous decisions and negotiations relating to certain normative acts are unlawful and cannot form the basis of a legislative initiative. More specifically, the Government or the relevant ministries do not have the competence to initiate such draft laws and, more seriously still, they cannot endorse them either. Beyond this legal issue, it must be noted that this is a law which will subsequently require implementing regulations, and there is currently no one with the authority to draft them," explained Barbu.

He added that the current caretaker Government has very limited powers and capacity to resolve the crisis, and that the situation could also affect the next executive. According to him, the union leaders he has spoken with understand that they do not have an interlocutor with genuine authority to negotiate with, which is why they are instead attempting to prepare the arguments they will subsequently present to Parliament.