The call for doctors to join the strike has paid off. This was announced by the National Association of Doctors in Employment (LAD) in a retrospective of the national strike day in hospitals.
According to a LAD spokesperson, the call has had an ‘effect’ and there was ‘a high willingness’ among doctors to join the strike. ‘It differed per hospital, also how many departments took action. But our team of negotiators, who visited the hospitals all day, saw that all professional groups were represented in all hospitals, including doctors, in addition to nurses, lab technicians and others.’
Action songs
In the hospitals, the strike day often started with speeches by trade union representatives, action songs were sung and sit-ins held in central areas. Short protest marches were also walked in circles around hospitals, the spokesman outlines the course in various places. ‘For example, apples were also handed out to visitors to show that the situation is sour.’
The LAD will now ‘think’ about a possible second strike day in April, pending a new collective labor agreement offer from the Dutch Association of Hospitals (NVZ). The NVZ indicates that it hopes to be able to return to the negotiating table soon.
