Nurses in need: heavy work regulation is now urgently required!

Nurses in need: heavy work regulation is now urgently required!

In the failed coalition negotiations between the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, it was decided that the heavy work regulation should be extended to nursing staff. "While the ÖVP has already agreed, the FPÖ is now responsible for adopting this important correction and enabling a heavy work pension with a reduced discount from the age of 60," said Edgar Martin, chairman of the Younion - Team Health. In an open letter, numerous unions, including the Göd health union, called for political decision-makers to position themselves clearly on this topic, since the employees are very concerned about the implementation of these necessary changes. He emphasized that the conditions in the healthcare system are becoming increasingly difficult and that the recognition of nursing work is urgently demanded as difficult work in order to increase the attractiveness of the profession and address the shortage of staff.

important criteria for difficult work

The unions complain that the existing requirements for heavy work disadvantage nurses. The definition of physical difficult work is often not based on the real conditions in care facilities. These employees are exposed to multiple burdens that are not sufficiently taken into account, so that the majority of the applications are rejected for heavy work. Martin added that it was becoming increasingly difficult to prove nursing work, as many employees work in a stressful environment for decades, but now have to provide evidence of calorie consumption in order to attest to heavy work. The heavy work ordinance also defines various activities such as shift work or work under extreme conditions as difficult work, which does not do justice to nursing staff, as in the regulations, which also determine exactly what is considered to work.

Another signal was given in May last year when the unions organized a nationwide day of action for the heavy work regulation. Many federal states have already taken steps to expand the regulation to nursing staff. If the FPÖ fails to realize this change, future governments could expect a broad resistance of the employees concerned, the unions warned. The fate of the nursing staff is in the balance until a clear decision is made. Uncertainty in the negotiations has a massive impact on the trust of employees in the political actors in the health sector, emphasize the trade unionists, who would like an early, clear commitment to a fair heavy work regulation.

ots.at Health system could have, while wko.at confirmed which activities are officially considered difficult work and what this means for the affected nursing staff.