Paramedics demand 100% salary increase, “decent” working conditions

Paramedics in Georgia's capital of Tbilisi on Friday held a protest in front of the Emergency Situation Coordination and Urgent Assistance Centre and demanded a doubling of their salary and “decent” working conditions, the Georgian Public Broadcaster reported. 

Ambulance crews, including doctors, nurses and drivers, said they had held meetings with deputy health ministers of the country who promised to satisfy their requests, but added “nothing has changed financially” for them since.

They also called the Government's decision to abolish the state supplements issued during the pandemic “unfair,” noting the number of emergency calls had not decreased since then.

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The paramedics announced they would hold “permanent rallies” if their demands were not met, giving the authorities time to respond until Tuesday. 

Irakli Amiranashvili, the Head of the Medical Workers' Trade Union, told Interpressnews ambulance services had made a move to switch their employees to 12-hour shifts, a change rejected by the workers due to “more workload and no change in salary.”

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During the rally, the protesters signed a statement drafted to be sent to Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili and Aleksandre Kutibashvili, the head of the Emergency Situation Coordination and Urgent Assistance Centre. 

The demonstrators said they would gather again outside the Health Ministry on Tuesday.