As a reminder, last Thursday, the students of ULB and UMons learned of the elimination of the payment of their boarding guards within the network of university hospitals of Brussels (HUB), and this, since the beginning of March. A decision which concerns the three hospitals in the network: the Erasme Hospital, the Jules Bordet Institute and the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital (HUDERF).
The HUB then affirmed that this decision was independent of the hospitals and that it followed an inspection of the services of the National Social Security Office (ONSS). Information that the ONSS denies, the latter affirm that an investigation is indeed underway, but that “our inspectors did not request the abolition of childcare allowances granted to students“.
In addition, ULB and UMons students also learned this morning that they would no longer be paid for their guard duty at the Civil Marie Curie hospital in Charleroi. Students are now worried that other hospitals will follow.
Medical interns cut off from their remuneration for their guards: “There is no longer any respect, no more recognition”
“This will make everyone’s workload worse.”
Since this announcement, strikes have been mentioned by students. It is now done. “If two years ago someone had told me that they were going to stop paying us, I would have done things differently. The message sent by the hospital is that we are too important not to come, but not important enough to pay.”explain students in their final year of medicine.
“Our guards are doing work that should be done by assistants but they simply don’t have the time. This strike will just make everyone’s workload worse. The hospitals are shooting themselves in the foot,” they continue.
The students point out another major problem: the most disadvantaged students will simply no longer be able to afford to do this course. “This lifestyle does not allow you to have a student job; for those who do not have the financial resources, it is impossible to have a student job and succeed in your studies.”conclude the students.
