Italian doctors' salaries among the lowest in Europe: strike confirmed on 20 November

Italian doctors' salaries are among the lowest in Europe, especially for young postgraduates, who are in fifth last place, according to a study by the European Federation of Salaried Doctors (Fems), which considers data on 21 EU countries. We are also below the mid-table for doctors already in their careers, while it is only slightly better in the European comparison for doctors with 25 years of work behind them. For the trade unions, therefore, "an immediate change of course" is needed, which is why they are confirming the strike on 20 November, which was called immediately after the launch of themanoeuvre, which at the moment only envisages mini-increases that do not satisfy the white coats at all.

"The Italian picture in relation to Europe appears very alarming, even considering the latest Censis data that show how in the period 2015-2022 the salaries of medical executives in Italy fell by 6.2% and spending on permanent contracts fell by 2.8%," comment Alessandra Spedicato president of Fems and Pierino Di Silverio, national secretary of the hospital doctors' union Anaao Assomed. According to the Fems study, the remuneration of doctors in specialist training in Italy, which is around EUR 1700, corrected for purchasing power, is above only Spain, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Spain, however, recovers a more advantageous position when doctors from specialist training enter the health system. Countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Sweden, on the other hand, show from the very beginning of their careers a strong investment in remuneration in order to retain and enhance the professional with salaries for young doctors (adjusted for purchasing power) ranging from 2,500 to over 3,000 euros.

With regard to doctors already in their careers (from 0 to 10 years and then up to 25 years of seniority) the new fact that emerges from this study is, however, that alongside the consolidated position of Germany, France, Austria and the Netherlands, which guarantee salaries (always corrected for purchasing power) of between 5,000 and over 6,000 euros net per month (as opposed to the meagre 4,000 euros of Italians), there are also countries that are investing heavily in healthcare professionals, also to stem the migration phenomenon, as in the case of Bulgaria and Romania, which offer increasingly competitive salaries. Spedicato and Di Silverio point out that 'it is not only an economic issue that pushes medical and healthcare executives to flee hospitals - 8,000 in the last year and a half alone - but also the working conditions, penalised by the lack of recruitment, the poor career opportunities - 12% reach top levels, of which only 2% are women - marred by political choices that do not reward merit, the failure to respect signed contracts, the lack of security due to the increase in aggressions and civil and or criminal complaints'.

"An immediate change of course is needed and with this goal in mind we will be on strike and in the streets on 20 November, knowing that this day, in the absence of positive answers, will not remain isolated," confirm Spedicato (Fems) and Di Silverio (Anaao Assomed). "Even if the government in office is not solely responsible for the state of Italian healthcare," they point out, "it could be responsible for the coup de grace to a SSN in deep crisis. "The issue of physicians' salaries", the theme of the Fems analysis that shows how Italy does not rank well out of 21 European countries taken into consideration, "is a political issue because it concerns the value of work and that of those who do it, and because an inadequate remuneration policy discourages demand for training and fuels flight. It is time for words ('the relaunch of public health goes through the valorisation of personnel') to be followed by deeds'.