Health Minister Stéphanie Rist proposed on Friday to meet the following day with the unions of independent doctors, who plan to demonstrate after nearly a week of strike action still expected to last several days.
"I will be at the ministry on Saturday to receive them," announced Ms. Rist on Franceinfo, specifying that she had sent a letter to this effect to the unions (doctors, students, etc.) on Thursday evening.
Since Monday, these workers have been engaged in a strike intended to escalate and last ten days. They are denouncing numerous "policies that trample on them," including a social security budget deemed insufficient, a limitation on sick leave prescriptions, and measures allowing them to circumvent collective bargaining agreements between the profession and the national health insurance system.
Doctors' organizations plan to demonstrate on Saturday, with Ms. Rist proposing to meet with them in parallel with these gatherings.
"What I can do is open my door and say we are going to work," she asserted, repeatedly promising to "rebuild trust" but without specifying what was open to negotiation.
In her letter, sent to AFP, the minister notably promises to open "work to resume and strengthen conventional discussions".
According to the latest figures, dating back to Tuesday, activity was down by 191 TPH (three-day periods) among general practitioners and by 121 TPH among specialists. This situation is putting a strain on hospital emergency services, already dealing with a peak flu epidemic as well as the recent snow and ice-related accidents.
"January is always (...) a difficult period for emergency services," stressed Ms. Rist, assuring that they "are holding up."
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