Healthcare professionals resume protests over unfulfilled July 23 agreement

After a brief hiatus, doctors and healthcare professionals from various sectors returned to protest in front of Parliament on Wednesday, a move driven by their frustration with the government’s failure to implement the July 23, 2024 agreement,

The pact was signed by both the government and the trade unions, which had previously put an end to an unprecedented six-month-long movement within the sector.

 The recent unrest reflects growing discontent, fueled by the government’s failure to honor its commitments, and healthcare unions are now threatening to resume protests of unprecedented scale unless their demands are met and the agreement is swiftly put into action, with many viewing the government’s current silence as not only baffling but utterly unjustifiable.

“We hope our repeated calls will be answered, but if not, we will continue our struggle in all its forms,” Mustapha Chnaoui, Secretary-General of the National Health Union, affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labour, expressed his dismay, statingtold Hespress. 

“It is unacceptable that, six months after signing the agreement, it remains nothing but ink on paper. This is beyond reason.” 

“It is absurd that after months of struggle to reach an agreement, we now find ourselves having to struggle even longer for its mere implementation; this is nothing but a senseless delay.”

Hamza  Ibrahimi, Head of Media and Communication at the National Public Health Union, remarked that the coordination had not received any official response to its communications with the Minister of Health and Social Protection regarding the resumption of sectoral social dialogue, which has been suspended for over a month and a half. 

“This lack of engagement has further exacerbated the sense of uncertainty and frustration among healthcare professionals of all categories.” Speaking to Hespress, El Ibrahimi added that while the Minister of Health had reaffirmed his commitment to honor the July 23 agreement, signed under the supervision of the Prime Minister, the sector remains in a state of turmoil. 

He said “the healthcare sector is currently in turmoil, with widespread uncertainty and confusion among healthcare professionals of all levels regarding their financial, administrative, and legal demands, which have remained unaddressed in the agreement since July, followed by technical and communicative dialogue sessions.”

El Ibrahimi also highlighted that reports suggest the imminent implementation of the territorial health group system, which will directly affect the future of over 70,000 healthcare professionals. He stressed the importance of safeguarding their rights, stating: “It is essential to maintain their employee status, wage centrality, and initiate a dialogue on the new statutory system.”