- Title: Health workers march in Paris for better working conditions, higher pay
- Date: 30th June 2020
- Summary: CHIROPRACTOR, YANN DUVINAGE, HOLDING SIGN AT PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (French) 36-YEAR-OLD CHIROPRACTOR, YANN DUVINAGE, SAYING: "We've been sounding the alarm for more than a year on the working conditions in emergency rooms, which concern everyone. In the Saint-Maurice hospital, we don't have emergency services, but we've been seeing the degradation of the services given to patients progressively, slowly but surely. And I would say that right now, the degradations are getting worse, and COVID-19 was the last straw since we've been out of air for years, and with COVID-19, it showed what their (government's) priorities are. And their priorities are economic choices, meaning the government has made the very conscious decision, the very thrifty decision, not to provide masks to health workers and the public, and we're seeing the consequences." BANNER READING (French): "GIVE CARE AND SHUT UP" PROTESTERS MARCHING SIGN READING (French): "THE PEOPLE SUPPORT HEALTH WORKERS" PROTESTER MARCHING, HOLDING SIGN SIGN ON PROTESTER'S ATTIRE READING (French): "THE HOSPITALS' MONEY? THEY'RE IN TAX HAVENS" UNION LEADERS HOLDING BANNER, INCLUDING FORCE OUVRIERE HEAD, YVES VEYRIER (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD OF FRENCH UNION FORCE OUVRIERE, YVES VEYRIER, SAYING: "We're telling the government that for the moment, what you're telling us is nothing but a starting point, it's not the complete package, since we've issued precise demands for all categories of health workers, those who give care and those who don't. And so we're putting up the package that they announced to us, the 6 billion (euros) that everyone has heard of, but that's not enough, so the government has to hear us out and understand us, and we are here make them understand and hope they hear us out." VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE PROTESTERS GATHERED
- Embargoed: 14th July 2020 16:50
- Keywords: CFDT Force Ouvriere France coronavirus health workers march protest unions
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003CKKBWAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of health workers marched in Paris on Tuesday (June 30) to protest poor working conditions and low wages, renewing a call on the government to provide sufficient financing to hospitals nationwide.
Despite being praised with daily applause by people on their balconies during the height of the outbreak, health workers said they should instead be rewarded for their work with higher salaries and more funding for equipment and personnel.
Health workers have last year started strikes and protests against the government, but the movement was put on hold during the new coronavirus crisis.
They returned to the streets in June, sparking clashes with police, after France lifted its two-month lockdown in mid-May.
Protester Melissa Descotes comes from three generations of nurses, but she said she would not advise her daughter to inherit her profession.
"I won't be against her taking up another job, not because this isn't the best job in the world, but because she won't live right with it," she said.
In recognition of their contribution during the outbreak, the government paid healthcare workers a 1,500 euro bonus. French Health Minister Olivier Veran has also proposed the allotment of 6 billion euros to increase salaries for health workers.
But Force Ouvriere union leader Yves Veyrier said the proposals were not enough and could only be the "starting point" of a "complete package" of measures to quell protesters' complaints.
(Production: Clotaire Achi, Noemie Olive, Melodie Sforza, Emilie Delwarde, Ardee Napolitano) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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