Rabat – National healthcare union coordinators have halted preparing for a strike that was planned by the end of this month, urging the need to instead execute the July 23, 2024 agreement.
The move comes following significant advancement in implementing this agreement.
During a meeting in Rabat last Friday, union representatives and Ministry of Health and Social Protection officials discussed the agreement’s progress.
Union representatives expressed that this phase should focus on execution rather than reopening negotiated terms, and in response, the ministry confirmed the ongoing progress towards implementing the agreement, with several decrees in various stages of finalization.
The ministry guaranteed that healthcare professionals’ salaries would be paid from the state’s general budget while maintaining their civil servant status.
Specific financial demands include a monthly net increase of MAD 500 ($50) for nursing staff and MAD 200 ($20) for administrative and technical personnel, effective July 1, 2025. These increases would supplement previously negotiated raises from the April 2024 agreement.
Read also: Public Health Sector Strikes Continue as Doctors Demand Meaningful Reform
The ministry has scheduled future discussion rounds, including a February 25 workshop on healthcare personnel status and a preliminary February 12 meeting to review a specific healthcare program work allowance.
The unions’ coordination reportedly expressed gratitude to all parties contributing to the agreement’s success, saying they view it as a crucial step toward improving working conditions and strengthening the national healthcare system.
The unions have pointed to several key priorities, including preserving healthcare professionals’ civil servant rights, ensuring state-funded salaries, and activating a regular text-alert system for transfers and appointments. These are particularly focused on promoting career advancement and introducing a new grade scale within the retirement reform framework.
The strike halt signals a constructive approach to resolving sector challenges through partnership and dialogue while waiting for the ministry to commit to the clauses of the latest agreement.
