German medical assistants protest over pay

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German health professionals on Thursday staged a one-day strike across the country, demanding better pay and conditions amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Hundreds of medical and dental assistants gathered in Berlin, in front of the German Medical Association building, to increase pressure on the authorities before the fourth round of wage negotiations.

Hannelore Konig from the medical professionals association VMF said thousands of her colleagues are not paid enough, although they are working under difficult conditions.

"We demand better wages for staff in medical practices, especially for new recruits. We demand an hourly wage of €17 ($18), just as other health professionals receive, and we demand that all staff benefit from the collective bargaining negotiations,” she told Anadolu.

VMF’s demands also include a one-time bonus of €2,000 ($2,150) for all medical and dental assistants, and €1,000 ($1075) for trainees, in order to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.