Bookmarkers beware: Bookmarks to pages other than the home page may not work after we change our server in April Editor's Choice | This Week in BMJ | Press releases BMJ No 7129 Volume 316 News Saturday 7 February 1998 Wage increase averts threatened doctors' strike in Hungary With national elections looming in May, the Hungarian government has granted healthcare workers a 16% wage increase, averting a threatened strike. The settlement also includes a promise by the government to set aside 2.3 billion Hungarian forints (£6.7m; $10.7m) this year and three billion forints in ensuing years for bonus payments for medical staff. A further demand by the democratic trade union of healthcare workers calling for a doubling of the supplementary payment for those working with handicapped patients was also granted. During negotiations the Hungarian chamber of doctors had also demanded the resignation of the welfare minister, Mihály Kökény. The chamber blamed him for the many problems plaguing Hungary's healthcare system, including debt ridden hospitals, mass dismissals at several institutions, cutbacks in the number of hospital beds, and underpaid staff. According to the chamber, the average gross monthly salary for doctors in Hungary is about 34,000 forints. Mr Kökény refused to step down and accused the chamber of distorting and misrepresenting the state of the country's health care. "It is unfortunate that the chamber exaggerates the real problems while we have never denied that we are struggling with many difficulties due to the [political and economic] transition," he said. He contended that the chamber's allegations that doctors are outrageously underpaid are false and said that even general surgeons make an average of 72,000 forints a month before taxes. Mr Kökény also said that most hospitals are not in debt and that only 1% of Hungary's hospitals are in critical financial trouble. He attributed the annual 3% fluctuation in employment to normal attrition through retirements and people changing their jobs. Carl Kovac Budapest Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline