Poland's 200 hospitals on open-end strike

WARSAW, Poland, May 21 (UPI) -- Some 200 hospitals acrossPoland were open only to emergency cases as doctors went on an open-end strike demanding higher pay, media said Monday.

The Polish doctors union staged the protest after a futile meeting Friday with Polish Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński and Health Minister Zbigniew Religa, Polish Radio reported.

The radio said the strike was aimed at forcing the government to meet demands by physicians and medical staff in hospitals and clinics for higher pay. The demands also include the new funding system and privatization procedure.

Last Tuesday, doctors at more than 250 hospitals and clinics staged a "warning strike," demanding a monthly salary be increased to at least $1,800, which is double the Polish national average salary.

source: upi.com