Trade union representatives at the Provincial Hospital for the Nervously and Mentally Ill learned about the plan to merge the two hospitals in Bolesławiec last Wednesday. “We found out through the back door,” admits Mirosław Kochanowski, chairman of the Solidarity Workplace Commission and a physiotherapy technician, in an interview with Boleslawiec.org. As is known, both hospitals are in debt, with the SP ZOZ on Jeleniogórska Street deeply in debt. The merger would help the SP ZOZ get back on its feet. In Kochanowski’s view, however, only in the short term; moreover, it would lead to the closure of both hospitals.
Despite its 5-million-zloty debt, the situation at the psychiatric hospital appears to be good. As the chairman assures us: “The hospital has started to come alive recently. You can see it in the uniforms, in the ambulance; something is beginning to happen at this hospital.” Pay increases are stipulated in the agreements. The staff are close-knit. The trade union representatives have a good relationship with the management. According to the county authorities, the county hospital’s debt amounts to 25 million zlotys. The psychiatric hospital’s trade union representatives believe the amount is even higher. As Kochanowski points out, patients would suffer most from the merger. Employees of the hospital on Tysiąclecia Avenue would also lose out. According to their estimates, 100 people would lose their jobs. “After all, no one will maintain two laboratories, two administrations or duplicate departments,” says Kochanowski.
Without us, about us?
The trade union representatives got the impression that Janusz Kalisz, the provincial hospital’s director, was being left out of the whole matter. They were not officially informed about the meeting between the Bolesławiec County head and Urszula Fuchs, director of the SP ZOZ, with Marek Moszczyński, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, concerning the merger of the hospitals. Last Friday, they went to Wrocław with a delegation. During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting, Marek Moszczyński confirmed the union’s information. He admitted that the voivodeship authorities were analyzing the hospital’s financial situation. The risks of merging the hospitals were also discussed. “We asked the marshal to show us whether anything like this had succeeded anywhere. Are we supposed to be the first again, the pioneers?!” the chairman says ironically.
On Friday afternoon, the trade union representatives met with Cezary Przybylski and Karol Stasik, Chairman of the County Council. They presented their point of view. They told the county head that they were ready to hold a referendum among the employees. The county head replied that he already knew its result.
“They are trying to attach us to something that, I dare say, was not managed very well. There will be a protest,” says Mirosław Kochanowski. He does not yet know how the hospital employees will demonstrate their opposition. Tomorrow, they will meet with the staff. “Nevertheless, patients must not be allowed to suffer,” the chairman adds.
The county head rejects the allegations
“The idea of merging the hospitals came from the voivodeship marshal. We are interested and, for now, we are only talking,” Cezary Przybylski told Boleslawiec.org. “We do not anticipate layoffs. Together with the marshal, we will pay an independent expert to assess the situation and say whether merging the hospitals makes sense. If it turns out not to be beneficial for both facilities, there will be no merger,” the county head added.
Update 2007-06-14 11:44
Mirosław Kochanowski told Boleslawiec.org today that a protest committee had been established at the hospital. Everyone at the meeting supported the trade union representatives’ demands—including the idea of a strike, if, of course, that form of protest takes place.
(GA report)