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The Committee notes the comments made by the Trade Union of Medical Analysis Technicians and the National Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives alleging failure to apply Convention No. 149. The comments were sent to the Government on 24 July and 11 September 2000, respectively. However, the Office has not received the Government’s observations. Pending the Government’s reply, the Committee will refer to the abovementioned communications.

According to the Trade Union of Medical Analysis Technicians, the public authorities are not enforcing the Convention satisfactorily. They have no effective policy to provide nursing staff with satisfactory employment and work conditions including career prospects and decent salaries that would attract and retain staff able to provide services of a quantity and quality such as to secure the highest possible level of medical care for patients.

The National Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives, for its part, alleges that the violation of nurses’ rights is notorious. In its comments, the above union emphasizes that:

-  salary levels are inadequate in relation to the work performed;

-  employers do not comply with the legislation and ignore nursing circles;

-  employers do not comply with basic health and safety principles;

-  work conditions are deteriorating;

-  salaries continue to drop;

-  acquired rights are taken away;

-  employers force nurses and midwives to change their employment, work and salary conditions for less favourable ones;

-  the Health Ministry has adopted virtually no legislation on the employment, working and salary conditions of nurses and midwives or on their education;

-  working conditions are not in conformity with safety requirements.

The same union alleges that no legal protection is anticipated for nurses and midwives in connection with the health-care reform despite the fact that the Health Ministry should expect the emergence of legal situations unfavourable for this group of workers.

The Committee hopes that the Government will send its observations on the comments made by the Trade Union of Medical Analysis Technicians and the National Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives so that the Committee can examine these matters at its next session in 2001.

[The Government is asked to report in detail in 2001.]