Yesterday, public servants in the country’s health sector showed their protest by having their hair shaved off at the central square. This happened after the Head of Mongolian Health Workers' Trade Union Myagmar Byambasuren made a statement saying the Union will continue their sit-down strike and went into the next form of protest, following the unsuccessful tripartite negotiation with the Minister of Labour and Social Protection Chinzorig Sodnom, which was started on May 15. Their labour strike against labour exploitation continued for 4 days and demanded fair status and salary increase of no less than 50 percent for physicians and medical workers. The strike is also participated by public servants in education, culture and science sectors. They addressed to the Government of Mongolia and the President for step-by-step salary increase. At present, average monthly salary and wage of public servants is currently around MNT 400-600 thousand.
Public servants demand wage raise as the GoM goes back on its deal
“These people sitting here putting their health at risk in the spring are here not because they have no work to do. They really are exhausted. But no one accepted our demand.” Ms. Myagmar Byambasuren highlighted. “On May 15, we, the labourers saw the tripartite negotiations as the last chance to raise our salary. But it failed. We will not enter into any talks now,” Ms. Myagmar Byambasuren expressed their protest.
The rally of the physicians and medical workers, teachers, cultural workers, meteorologists and scientists started near the end of last month. The protest died down after the Government representatives had a talk with the International Monetary Fund and was told that the salary and wage will be increased in the second quarter of this year.
“With this sit-in strike, we demand a realistic outcome from following negotiations. We will not stop our strike until our salaries are raised,” Ms. Myagmar Byambasuren strongly noted. “In Mongolia, there are a lot of labour exploitation. Life does not improve by having a job, but in contrary, fall into further debt and become poorer,” she criticized. “We want our work to be evaluated,” Ms. Myagmar added. When the President Battulga Khaltmaa met with the strikers at the square on May 15, they requested to issue a presidential decree on stopping labour exploitation and proposed to set maximum and minimum wage indexes by amending the Law on Public Service.
Protesters demand realistic outcome from following negotiations
President expressed that he agrees with their demand for wage increase and is holding a policy to supply housing to physicians and teachers by providing interest-free loans as they have guaranteed salary, and raise salary of those who work far from Ulaanbaatar.
On May 12, Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa received representatives of medical workers and heard their positions to resolve their urgent issues. Yesterday, MPs Byambatsogt Sandag and Batzandan Jalabsuren put a petition on increasing salaries of teachers, physicians and policemen to the Prime Minister. Answer to the petition will be presented in the nearest Parliament session.
Oyunbayar.N
Yesterday, public servants in the country’s health sector showed their protest by having their hair shaved off at the central square. This happened after the Head of Mongolian Health Workers' Trade Union Myagmar Byambasuren made a statement saying the Union will continue their sit-down strike and went into the next form of protest, following the unsuccessful tripartite negotiation with the Minister of Labour and Social Protection Chinzorig Sodnom, which was started on May 15. Their labour strike against labour exploitation continued for 4 days and demanded fair status and salary increase of no less than 50 percent for physicians and medical workers. The strike is also participated by public servants in education, culture and science sectors. They addressed to the Government of Mongolia and the President for step-by-step salary increase. At present, average monthly salary and wage of public servants is currently around MNT 400-600 thousand.
Public servants demand wage raise as the GoM goes back on its deal
“These people sitting here putting their health at risk in the spring are here not because they have no work to do. They really are exhausted. But no one accepted our demand.” Ms. Myagmar Byambasuren highlighted. “On May 15, we, the labourers saw the tripartite negotiations as the last chance to raise our salary. But it failed. We will not enter into any talks now,” Ms. Myagmar Byambasuren expressed their protest.
The rally of the physicians and medical workers, teachers, cultural workers, meteorologists and scientists started near the end of last month. The protest died down after the Government representatives had a talk with the International Monetary Fund and was told that the salary and wage will be increased in the second quarter of this year.
“With this sit-in strike, we demand a realistic outcome from following negotiations. We will not stop our strike until our salaries are raised,” Ms. Myagmar Byambasuren strongly noted. “In Mongolia, there are a lot of labour exploitation. Life does not improve by having a job, but in contrary, fall into further debt and become poorer,” she criticized. “We want our work to be evaluated,” Ms. Myagmar added. When the President Battulga Khaltmaa met with the strikers at the square on May 15, they requested to issue a presidential decree on stopping labour exploitation and proposed to set maximum and minimum wage indexes by amending the Law on Public Service.
Protesters demand realistic outcome from following negotiations
President expressed that he agrees with their demand for wage increase and is holding a policy to supply housing to physicians and teachers by providing interest-free loans as they have guaranteed salary, and raise salary of those who work far from Ulaanbaatar.
On May 12, Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa received representatives of medical workers and heard their positions to resolve their urgent issues. Yesterday, MPs Byambatsogt Sandag and Batzandan Jalabsuren put a petition on increasing salaries of teachers, physicians and policemen to the Prime Minister. Answer to the petition will be presented in the nearest Parliament session.
Oyunbayar.N