Sasko: Three LOZ Demands Approved, Without Addressing Emergency Situation

Bratislava, December 18 (TASR) - The government approved three more demands of the Medical Trade Union Association (LOZ) at its meeting on Wednesday, and Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) added that the cabinet did not address the issue of declaring an emergency situation at all, the minister stated after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"We are continuing with the negotiations, the emergency situation has not been addressed by the government yet, and I will keep you informed of any further developments," the minister added. He also stated that he will not allow there to be no health care available after January 1, 2025.

Sasko also said that he had called on his colleagues in the cabinet to be restrained in their public statements about the current situation. "Given the time and the state of negotiations, I will also be very restrained at this point and will not continue to make any public statements. For me, it's the negotiations that are important," he added.

The government, for example, approved a regulation regarding the conditions for specialisation studies for medical professionals on parental leave, updated the rules of procedure for the commission for overseeing the implementation of a Memorandum from 2022, and okayed an extension of a resolution rejecting the transformation of hospitals into those under the control of not just the Health Ministry, but also the Interior and Defence Ministries.

Four demands remain unresolved because, according to the minister, they require discussion and a proper legislative process. The government wants to address the remaining issues in the first quarter of 2025, but the trade union is insisting that the changes should be adopted by the end of this year. The issue of salaries remains unresolved.