17,000 Nurses Threaten To Go On Strike In Thailand

[webfact]

17,000 nurses threaten to go on strike

The Nation

Network calls for contract workers to be given permanent status right away

BANGKOK: -- Some 17,000 nurses across the country will strike work in January if their demand that they be employed as civil-service workers are not met, a nurses' network announced yesterday.

The 17,000 nurses, who have long been employed as contract workers, are demanding that they be employed permanently by the Public Health Ministry by January. Their campaign is supported by fellow nurses. A petition bearing 32,874 signatures calls for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to take action.

Speaking yesterday at a Bangkok seminar, the Nurses' Association of Thailand also repeated other demands: designation of long-term nurses' positions; reserve retirees' job vacancies for only newly graduated nurses; official recognition of nurses on the same level as doctors and dentists; and permission to work overseas when the Asean Economic Community takes effect in 2015.

Association head Jintana Uniphan cited a recent Education Ministry enlistment of 12,000 teachers as an example that could be applied to the case of the 17,000 nurses.

The nurses' network would notify the hospitals where the 17,000 nurses work before the strike takes place.

Network head Wannipha Srihomchai said the nurses would not accept a condition that they remain as Public Health Ministry contract workers while procedures were underway - only immediate permanent employment as civil servants was acceptable.

A proposal that the 17,000 nurses be hired as contract workers for a minimum five-year period instead of one year was also not acceptable, Wannipha said. Such an arrangement might work for newly graduated nurses but not for the long-time workers, who have been on contract for eight years.

Jakkaree Khakamjad, head of the alumni at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, said morale among nurses is at an all-time low. Many are working 16-hour shifts. The ideal one-to-six nurse-per-bed ratio has been at one-to-10 for many years while the one-to-one ratio for intensive care is more like one-to-four in many hospitals.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 23

[noitom]

Thais don't have male nurses. Do they discriminate in this occupation? They should have more males and trans sexuals. Make more of a circus of it.

[jaltsc]

Difficult to believe there will be much progress with this situation. There doesn't appear to be any room for government or private graft. Now the rice scheme on the other hand....The government must really hate it when they go up against people who are educated

[Moruya]

I feel sorry for these nurses.

Good luck to you all

[culicine]

Thais don't have male nurses. Do they discriminate in this occupation? They should have more males and trans sexuals. Make more of a circus of it.

Where did you hear that. Of course they have male nurses!

[Rionoir]

Thais don't have male nurses. Do they discriminate in this occupation? They should have more males and trans sexuals. Make more of a circus of it.

Of course they do... i know several personally.

How exactly is having male nurses making a "circus out of it"?

Edited November 23, 2012 by Rionoir

[asiawatcher]

This plight will not go away and it is so important compared to other rubbish the Govt addresses. Go on strike all, love to see it. The health minister is a joke, especially after recommending pay cuts to existing nurses to allow employment of more. What a moron. Needless to say none of the idiots in parliament will take a pay cut...

[bbradsby]

Thais don't have male nurses. Do they discriminate in this occupation? They should have more males and trans sexuals. Make more of a circus of it.

Of course they do... i know several personally.

How exactly is having male nurses making a "circus out of it"?

Please don't feed the Thaivisa trolls.

[culicine]

Strikes were the only way to effect changes, say, in Australia, with strong teachers and nurses unions. Let's hope for the change. Thai teachers need to do the same!

[bbradsby]

Thai nurses are the backbone of the medical industry. They are a seriously talented & hard-working lot, often forced to work double shifts & work thru breaks, and paid a pittance for what they provide to society - they diagnose & treat w/o doctors for the most common diseases and can prescribe medicines for these, they run pharmacies which actually function as very low cost medical consultancies providing essential services to poor & working class Thais, they provide ALL personal care to patients in hospitals unlike in the West. The level of work, care & expertise they provide would be the envy of the USA.

They deserve real jobs, real hours, real respect.

[Pib]

I hope the nurses are truly serious about striking, because a nationwide strike is about the only thing that may get the govt off its ass and seriously address the nurses' problems/requests. The govt seems to have no problem rounding-up money for construction projects, rice pledging schemes, etc...the govt should do the same for the problems identified by the nurses.

[lizardtongue]

Way to go! I personally would love to see the Gov. buckle and give in to their demands then other exploited Thai's might just take note and realize that they do have a modicum of power/say!

[Payboy]

Thais don't have male nurses. Do they discriminate in this occupation? They should have more males and trans sexuals. Make more of a circus of it.

There goes by sponge bath fantasy.

[Buchholz]

This plight will not go away and it is so important compared to other rubbish the Govt addresses. Go on strike all, love to see it. The health minister is a joke, especially after recommending pay cuts to existing nurses to allow employment of more. What a moron. Needless to say none of the idiots in parliament will take a pay cut...

It certainly will not go away.

The OP photo is from the 3,000 nurses that held a rally at Government House last month.

At that time, the Health Minister said he would have an answer for them this month.

Thai Public Health Ministry To Give Answers For Nurses By Next Month

His offer had more than a few shortcomings

Thai Nurses Unimpressed By Offer Of Civil Servant Status...

which is why they have arrived at this point of countering with a strike and a return to Bangkok for another rally in January.

No word yet if the Cabinet will re-implement the by-then expired ISA and deploy thousands of cops at that time.

.

Edited November 23, 2012 by Buchholz

[culicine]

Strikes were the only way to effect changes, say, in Australia, with strong teachers and nurses unions. Let's hope for the change. Thai teachers need to do the same!

I strongly agree that Thai teachers need to get mobilized and demand better conditions, but at the same time many older Thai teachers need to realize that their skills and appraoch to teaching is no longer acceptable.

Yes, new Thai graduates actually learn innovative methods for teaching, but the system is not conducive to their implementation - old fossil teachers (they need to be respected, so young ones tow the line), and lack of resources are a major problem.

The article mentioned 16 hour shifts, but I'd say 8 of those hours are over time for extra pay. New nursing graduates can afford to pay off a small new car on their salary + overtime. The source of my info is good - wife is a nursing college director

[Buchholz]

I hope the nurses are truly serious about striking, because a nationwide strike is about the only thing that may get the govt off its ass and seriously address the nurses' problems/requests. The govt seems to have no problem rounding-up money for construction projects, rice pledging schemes, etc...the govt should do the same for the problems identified by the nurses.

Bingo !

The consequences of not dealing with it are obviously huge.

.

[slapout]

Require all politicians to donate blood and have a physical once a month. Specify that the nurses will be those probing for the veins, etc. Another example of how a potential good idea/profession with dedicated individuals can be treated like step children.

[RisqEM]

Thai nurses are the backbone of the medical industry. They are a seriously talented & hard-working lot, often forced to work double shifts & work thru breaks, and paid a pittance for what they provide to society - they diagnose & treat w/o doctors for the most common diseases and can prescribe medicines for these, they run pharmacies which actually function as very low cost medical consultancies providing essential services to poor & working class Thais, they provide ALL personal care to patients in hospitals unlike in the West. The level of work, care & expertise they provide would be the envy of the USA.

They deserve real jobs, real hours, real respect.

I couldn't agree more with you. My GF is a cardiac surgery nurse, and she works 8 hours a day, standbye all night, every day (at a government hospital). When she's not working there, she's got another job at a private hospital. Two weeks ago she was IN the hospital, working for 27 hours straight on pre-op/post-op and surgical assistance!!!! She makes a good salary because of her specialization, but I agree 100%, she is vastly under-compensated for the amount of work she does. Her doctors only work a few hours a day, and then they go home.

It's ridiculous. This is her schedule, I can't remember her last free weekend. It's really made us consider her redoing her education in America where she can get paid what she's worth.

[Halion]

I think that they may have to strike in order to get this Ministry to take them seriously. The Nursing profession is in essence the backbone of hospital care and they are treated like itinerant workers.

They are truly more entiled to be termed "civil servant" than those in the Ministry opposed to this action. Paper pushing ass kissing sycophants

I hope that they stay resolved and show this Government up for what it is rather than what it pretends to be.

I wish them well.

[theajarn]

Hey, why don't we all organise a massive protest? Coincide with Pitak Siam, the Thai Nurses... Thai Teachers... maybe even get Motorcycle Taxi and Taxi drivers to strike... tell the government that we should be paying politicians less....

[thaicbr]

I hope the nurses are truly serious about striking, because a nationwide strike is about the only thing that may get the govt off its ass and seriously address the nurses' problems/requests. The govt seems to have no problem rounding-up money for construction projects, rice pledging schemes, etc...the govt should do the same for the problems identified by the nurses.

Bingo !

The consequences of not dealing with it are obviously huge.

.

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[blazes]

This plight will not go away and it is so important compared to other rubbish the Govt addresses. Go on strike all, love to see it. The health minister is a joke, especially after recommending pay cuts to existing nurses to allow employment of more. What a moron. Needless to say none of the idiots in parliament will take a pay cut...

I am in no position to know if the Health Minister is a "moron", but the idea of asking current workers to take less to enable younger workers to enter the system has been floating around Europe for a long time, especially France.

Of course, it is barbaric to ask any worker, anywhere, to take less when those at the top have their noses in the trough.

[KuhnPaen]

As hot as Thai nurses are in their little uniforms and paper hats, in my experience they are rather clumsy and incompetent. I have been in 7 different Thai hospitals over the years, and have only had good experiences in 2 of them. I've had Thai nurses try to inject me with dirty needles, and caught blood infections from poor care. Maybe I'm just lucky. I hear other people rave about Thai hospitals. I swore never again. Don't even get me started on dentists.

[NCFC]

Ah the irony, those posters who were so opposed to the rise in the minimum wage now coming out in support of the nurses.

Yes, the nurses need be treated fairly,and so do all low-paid workers.

[JulesMad]

GO, nurses GO

Thai nurses are the BEST!! Friendly, dedicated, and real professional!!!

I just wish I know more of them (but I am never sick )

[Trembly]

Thais don't have male nurses. Do they discriminate in this occupation? They should have more males and trans sexuals. Make more of a circus of it.

There is no discrimination. It is the males who discriminate against the profession of nursing by and large.

[Elfin]

If the Thai nurses (both male and female) and the Thai teachers got together to demonstrate and strike for higher pay, better work conditions and job security, then we might have a Thai Spring?

[bbradsby]

...My GF is a cardiac surgery nurse... It's really made us consider her redoing her education in America where she can get paid what she's worth.

Some Thai nursing school degrees are accepted for licensure in the US, but beware: the licensing exams in the US - certainly CA - are written in such complex English sentence form that they serve [purposefully, I'm convinced] as trade barriers to non-native English-speaking nurses no matter their level of medical expertise.

Also, nurse hours in the US are maybe no better than here. and your GF would start off at the bottom of the totem pole with night shifts, no matter her seniority here.

We just skipped the whole thing, and my wife left the profession when we decided to have a baby.

[Pib]

...My GF is a cardiac surgery nurse... It's really made us consider her redoing her education in America where she can get paid what she's worth.

Some Thai nursing school degrees are accepted for licensure in the US, but beware: the licensing exams in the US - certainly CA - are written in such complex English sentence form that they serve [purposefully, I'm convinced] as trade barriers to non-native English-speaking nurses no matter their level of medical expertise.

Also, nurse hours in the US are maybe no better than here. and your GF would start off at the bottom of the totem pole with night shifts, no matter her seniority here.

We just skipped the whole thing, and my wife left the profession when we decided to have a baby.

About 10 years ago when still living in the States I lived next to a nurse who was originally from the Philippines. In the Philippines she was a doctor, but couldn't pass the U.S. doctor's licensing exam because she said even though she was pretty fluent in her English second language she said she still had problems in understanding many of the questions. However, she did pass the nurse's licensing exam but said even the English in that exam gave her problems/made it tough to pass. If English nursing exams give Filipino's problems, then the great, great majority of Thai's nurses won't have a chance in passing the exam.

[CWMcMurray]

It is not a raise that the nurses are looking for

They are asking to be hired as full time civil servants , which gives them better security and the benefits that go along with this

Some of these nurses have been working for a very long time as contract employees, with the understanding that they would eventually be given full time civil service status... Which hasn't happened