In France, a strike begins in public hospitals this Monday, November 4, to denounce the new Social Security financing bill. Led by four unions in the sector, the action is symbolic, since the work of hospital staff continues. Banners will be hung and leaflets distributed, but it is impossible for the unions to shut down the health system.
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Despite a small increase in spending, the inter-union criticizes a sham Social Security financing bill, in the middle of a parliamentary debate on the 2025 budget. increase 2.8% for health insurance, and more than 3% for health facilities.
On paper, the budget seems positive, but in fact, the effective increase is almost zero since at the same time, the executive wants to increase the retirement contributions of hospital staff. Indeed, the increase in health spending dedicated to the sector will be limited to 3.1%, far from the 6% necessary, according to the Hospital Federation of France.
“ A PLFSS [projet de loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale NDLR] with an increase below 10% would be unreasonable. All societal, associative and governmental indicators say that 100,000 more professionals are needed to take care of the elderly sector. », Reports Yann Le Baron, national secretary of Unsa santé, one of the four unions to have filed a strike notice.
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“ Over 25 years, we have closed almost 100,000 beds »
There are certainly needs for the care of the elderly, but all sectors are under pressure, say the unions. On the front line: emergencies, as Christophe Prudhomme, health and social action manager at the CGT, explains.
“ Emergencies are the magnifying mirror of all the dysfunctions in our health system. People come to the emergency room because they no longer have a doctor. Those who pose a problem for us in the emergency room are those who we are going to hospitalize but for whom we don’t have a bed because we closed too many beds. Over 25 years, we have closed almost 100,000 beds. It’s a disaster », he is indignant.
Today in France, we are in the middle of examining the budget of our health system. Are we talking about public health? No, we’re talking about money! We have to make savings: except that savings in the health sector are what we modestly call avoidable deaths. I say clearly that the government which is going to pass this Social Security financing law, which will not provide the means to work properly, will have deaths on their conscience. That’s the reality.
Christophe Prudhomme, health and social action manager of the CGT
Bed closures continue in France. According to a report from the Statistical Directorate of Social Ministries published at the end of last week, nearly 4,900 beds have still been eliminated in 2023. With this strike, the unions hope to alert patients to the lack of funding in the network. This national mobilization is expected to last seven weeks, until December 21.
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