Warning strikes of the pharmacists are effective

Pharmacist associations rate warning strikes as a success

13/09/2012

With warning strikes, the pharmacists on Wednesday again underpinned their demands for better compensation. Thousands of pharmacies in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland joined the protest and closed their doors yesterday. Served only by the emergency service.

The warning strikes of the pharmacists were in the opinion of the State Pharmacy Association (LAV) Baden-Württemberg a success. „Together with our colleagues in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, we have shown that the profession stands together and collectively enters and fights for its legitimate demands“, emphasized LAV President Fritz Becker. The feedback from the ranks of the politicians on the nationwide largest protests of pharmacists for ten years also prove that this professional struggle has reached the responsible political departments, according to the statement of the LAV Baden-Württemberg.

Thousands of pharmacies in a warning strike
The state pharmacy associations Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland called on a total of around 4,000 pharmacies to strike yesterday. The strike participation was in Baden-Württemberg at about 80 percent. Although the pharmacists are legally obliged to serve, the law does not prescribe the form in which they have to perform their duties. For example, yesterday's customers received their medicines exclusively through the emergency service flaps. Already a week earlier, the pharmacists in two regions of Baden-Wuerttemberg with a corresponding protest action had pointed to their demands for a reasonable increase in fees. Yesterday, the warning strikes were now significantly expanded.

First reaction from politics to the protest of pharmacists
Carmen Gonzalez, the spokeswoman for the State Pharmacy Association of Baden-Württemberg, emphasized that the first reaction from politics to the warning strike by the pharmacies already followed last night. Federal Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) has withdrawn his previous veto against the increase in pharmacy fees proposed by the Ministry of Health by 25 cents per prescribed drug (8.35 euros instead of 8.10 euros). About a spokesman let the Federal Finance Minister, „After a thorough examination it was decided that we could support the increase.“ Accordingly, a corresponding increase in fees could already enter into force in 2013.

Pharmacists demand a fee increase of one euro per prescription drug
However, the proposal of a fee increase by only 25 cents per prescribed drug has been rejected by the pharmacist associations as far too low. The national pharmacy associations and the Federal Association of German Pharmacists Associations (ABDA) had opted for a fee increase „of about one euro (9.14 euros instead of 8.10 euros) per prescribed drug for the 21,300 self-employed pharmacists with their approximately 148,000 employees“ pronounced. „We are convinced that this is up to the pharmacies and covers the extra costs just like that“, stressed the spokeswoman of the LAV Baden-Württemberg. „I am firmly convinced both of the correctness and the sincerity of our demands, and I know my colleagues behind me, "said LAV President Fritz Becker, according to Carmen Gonzalez „Demand for an increase of 1.04 euros continues the planned increase of 25 cents compared.“

No further warning strikes until the decision of the politicians
In the talks with the Federal Ministry of Economics will be „Fritz Becker said: According to the spokeswoman for the LAV Baden-Württemberg, discussions are currently taking place between the Federal Association of German Pharmacist Associations and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor not planned. „We want to give politics time and space for reasonable results and to evaluate them in detail“, explained Gonzalez. After the repeated warning strikes, the ball is now in the field of politics. If the decision of the Federal Government should not guarantee an adequate future pharmacy leadership, however, a continuation of the protest actions is possible. „All facts are on the table - now it's politics“, So the conclusion of Fritz Becker, who is not only LAV-President in Baden-Württemberg, but also Chairman of the German Pharmacists Association. (Fp)

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Picture: siepmannH