Good news for doctors and managers of the National Health Service. The national collective labor agreement for the healthcare area relating to the three-year period 2022-2024 was definitively signed. The signing of Aran, which came after the green light from the Court of Auditors, unlocks the salary increases and arrears, which professionals will begin to see on their paychecks in the next few weeks.
The new increases
The new contract concerns approximately 137 thousand managers: 120 thousand doctors and 17 thousand non-medical health managers, including biologists, chemists and physiotherapists. The resources allocated, equal to 1.2 billion euros, guarantee an average increase of 7.27%.
As early as March, doctors will find an average increase of around 491 euros gross per month on their paychecks for thirteen months. This figure includes both the increase in the standard salary, equal to 230 euros gross, and the recomposition of the advances already paid in 2022 and 2023.
The amount varies based on the role and assignment:
- for directors of a complex structure in the surgical area the increase can reach up to 530 euros gross per month;
- for initial professional assignments the increase is around 322 euros.
To these sums are added the arrears for the previous period, which fluctuate between 8,710 euros for initial positions and 14,540 euros for complex structure directors, gross of the contractual holiday allowance already received.
Protection for doctors
In addition to the economic aspects, the renewal introduces significant regulatory changes, welcomed by the signatory trade unions (Anaao-Assomed, Cimo-Fesmed, Cisl Medici, Uil Fpl, among others).
Among the qualifying points stand out:
- legal protections against attacks, with the healthcare company that will bear all legal expenses, including technical consultants, for each level of judgment;
- the increase in company funds allocated to position and performance remuneration and to the improvement of working conditions;
- the increase in salary for a fixed position, which for directors of a complex structure can reach up to 2,410 euros more per year;
- holiday planning, to ensure real enjoyment of the rest period.
CGIL Medici’s no
The agreement was not signed by FP Cgil Medici, which speaks of “mortifying” increases. In a note they state:
it remains a defunded contract of 580 euros gross compared to the inflation of the three-year period, which does not introduce anything regulatory and which worsens the inequalities to the detriment of Healthcare Managers and Healthcare Professions
On the other hand, the signatory acronyms, such as Anaao and Cimo-Fesmed, underline that it was essential to quickly close this three-year period in order to open discussions on the next 2025-2027 contract. A hope shared by the Minister for Public Administration, Paolo Zangrillo, and the Undersecretary of Health, Marcello Gemmato, who see this renewal as a step forward towards making a healthcare career more attractive.
Strikes in the healthcare field are coming
While the public health management collects the increases, the private social front is in turmoil.
The unions have called a national strike of private healthcare and RSA workers for 17 April. The protest will involve around 300 thousand employees, whose national contracts have been expired for 8 and 13 years. This is a situation deemed “no longer tolerable” by the trade unions, despite the opening of a discussion table scheduled for March 4th.
Pharmacists are also on a war footing: the strike has been called for April 13th. The approximately 76 thousand employees of private pharmacies are protesting against the economic proposal deemed insufficient by Federfarma and asking for the recovery of purchasing power and the valorisation of professionalism for a contract which expires in August 2024.
