Breaking the wings of our hospital angels - Who will protect us?

On 28th April, the eve of International Workers Memorial Day, Taiwan Medical Workers Union mobilized primary healthcare workers from across the country to stage a protest in front of the Council of Labor Affairs. During the rally, protesters performed a drama depicting the nightmarish reality many nurses face each day. Many of the nurses wept as they stood in front of the Council of Labor Affairs illustrating just how desperate their situation has become. Their protest is not for any one-off incident or grievance but for a longstanding dispute over working conditions, something they must face each day of their lives. The Department of Health has taken the lead in attempting to crush the currently deplorable working conditions of nurses, but the funding of hospital developments by financial consortiums has meant the situation for nurses continues to deteriorate. The main problem is the vague and easily misinterpreted wording of Article 34 of the Labor Law that states workers should be given ‘appropriate rest time’. Another problem is the fact that inspections of working conditions in Taiwanese hospitals have become a mere formality. After the protests finished, the Taiwan Medical Workers Union and participating primary healthcare workers entered into the Council of Labor Affairs, where negotiations with government officials were held. In the end, Taiwan Medical Workers Union proposed a public hearing with primary medical workers and set a deadline for an official reply.

PeoPo 公民新聞

Breaking the wings of our hospital angels - Who will protect us?
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/94529

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當天使折翼 誰照顧我們？ ( 傅東森 )

4/28國際工殤節前夕，「台灣基層護理產業工會」發動全國基層護理人員，4/27到勞委會前陳情抗議，活動演出一場行動劇，這也是護士們平日真實血淋淋 的寫照，這些細雨中站在勞委會前廣場的護士們，再也壓抑不住情緒落淚哭泣，原來這些並不是單一的新聞事件及個案，而是護理人員回到醫院職場每天真實的惡 夢。衛生署帶頭壓榨護理人員的現象，仍在持續當中，醫院財團化的結果更讓這些基層護理人員成為第一順位的受害者，勞基法34條中規定「適當休息時間」不明 確，以及勞委會對於全國醫療院所的勞動檢查，流於形式化。陳情行動結束，台灣基層護理產業工會與參與行動的護理人員進入勞委會，與官員開協調會，工會最後 提出針對護理人員相關議題召開公聽會，並要求限時答覆。

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