Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANAGUA250
2006-02-02 17:01:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Managua
Cable title:  

AS MEDICAL STRIKE WIDENS, MINISTER OF HEALTH

Tags:  PGOV SOCI ELAB EFIN NU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0250 0331701
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021701Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5111
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS MANAGUA 000250 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI ELAB EFIN NU
SUBJECT: AS MEDICAL STRIKE WIDENS, MINISTER OF HEALTH
EXPLAINS ITS ORIGINS

REF: MANAGUA 193

UNCLAS MANAGUA 000250

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI ELAB EFIN NU
SUBJECT: AS MEDICAL STRIKE WIDENS, MINISTER OF HEALTH
EXPLAINS ITS ORIGINS

REF: MANAGUA 193


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The doctor's strike that has paralyzed
many public sector hospitals for over two weeks has widened
to include the powerful Sandinista union Fetsalud, which
represents the vast majority of public sector health care
workers. Minister of Health Margarita Gurdian insists that
she cannot meet the 30 to 50 percent salary increases the
unions are demanding, and states that even a 20 percent
increase would be hard to "sell" to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF). Nicaragua's labor laws and culture,
along with the machinations of the FSLN, combine to produce
waves of public sector strikes at regular intervals. As
always, FSLN party boss Daniel Ortega will seek to use the
medical strike, and threats of work stoppages and street
protests in other sectors, in an attempt to wring political
concessions from the GON. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The doctors strike described in reftel has widened to
include additional medical workers from the powerful
(Sandinista) Fetsalud union. While the strike was previously
limited to a fluctuating number of the country's 4000 public
sector doctors, Fetsalud has over 20,000 public sector
medical workers in its ranks, giving it the power to
completely shut down public hospitals if it wishes to do so.
While the doctors, who have been striking since November,
recently stated that they would accept a 30 percent salary
increase for 2006, Fetsalud, led by FSLN National Assembly
deputy Gustavo Porras, began a series of street protests on
January 30 to demand a 48 percent increase in the salaries of
all public sector medical workers. Porras has threatened to
shut down all but emergency services if the Ministry of
Health (Minsa) does not meet his demands.


3. (SBU) On January 31, poloff met Minister of Health
Margarita Gurdian to discuss the ongoing doctors strike and
the incipient Fetsalud work stoppage. Gurdian stated that
the root of the problem is the fact that, under Nicaraguan
labor law, Minsa must negotiate a new collective bargaining
agreement with the medical unions every two years. Because
of Nicaragua's conflict-prone labor climate and the desire of
the FSLN to foment and exploit such conflict, Minsa must
confront waves of strikes at least once every two years, as
health workers pressure the government to offer higher
salaries and more generous benefits and the Sandinistas seek
to score political points.


4. (SBU) Gurdian stated that she had steadfastly refused to
offer doctors the huge salary increases they had originally
demanded because she felt that any percentage increase should
be applied across the board to all medical workers. She
added that any favoritism towards the doctors would have
provoked an immediate walkout by Fetsalud. The minister
stated that her ministry cannot pay the 48 percent that
Fetsalud is demanding, nor the 30 percent the doctors want.
Gurdian felt that a 20 percent increase, which would require
an additional 100 million cordobas from the Treasury
Ministry, is more realistic. Anything more would break
Nicaragua's commitments to the IMF and even the additional
100 million cordobas would still have to be "sold" to the
fund by Gurdian and Treasury Minister Mario Arana.


5. (SBU) Unless the GON is able to solve the growing medical
strike by finding money in the budget to meet the unions,
demands or via political negotiations with the FSLN (see
below),Gurdian said that she saw little way out of the
impasse. She hoped that a planned "discussion forum"
organized by the resident representatives of the U.N.
agencies for February 3 will help. The U.N. agencies have
called on all the stakeholders (government, unions, NGOs,
etc.) to participate and to develop a long-term national
health care salary policy. Such a policy could theoretically
help Nicaragua break its regular two-year cycle of medical
salary renegotiation and strikes. Aside from making all
involved lose credibility and endangering people,s lives,
Gurdian stated that the strikes are also incredibly costly
for Minsa.


6. (U) On January 30, the political dimension of the strike
(and additional future strikes that have been threatened by
Sandinista unions in other sectors) was highlighted when
Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo publicly "suggested" to
President Bolanos that he should negotiate a solution with
the person who "has influence in such moments"--Sandinista
caudillo Daniel Ortega.
TRIVELLI