El Salvador Hospital Workers Strike
Hundreds of public health workers began a strike on Thursday to demand a wage raise and medical supplies to hospitals from the Salvadorian government.

Called by the Association of Workers of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, the strike involves most hospitals in El Salvador, where only emergencies are treated.

Trade union leaders from the Benjamin Bloom Na tional Children´s Hospitals, in the capital, said that the physicians will treat the patients in the oncology ward and those who are seriously ill.

A press release from the Association said that the protest is the consequence of the irresponsible attitude of the government, which has not enforced the new wage scale law and has left the sector out of a raise promised last year.

According to the text, the strike would step up if authorities refuse to increase the wages paid to employees in the health sector.

President Antonio Saca approved a 10-percent raise that came into force on January 1, but the measure excluded health and education workers who, according to the decree, already earn enough.

Two weeks ago, health workers staged a three day work stoppage and threatened to intensify the initiative if their demands were not met.