On 20 March 2001, French midwives began industrial action in a dispute over pay, status, employment levels and working conditions. The dispute was still in progress in early May, though the momentum seemed to have waned, and the eventual outcome remained uncertain.
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On 20 March 2001, French midwives began industrial action in a dispute over pay, status, employment levels and working conditions. The dispute was still in progress in early May, though the momentum seemed to have waned, and the eventual outcome remained uncertain.
On 20 March 2001, France's 15,000 or so midwives (of whom 70 are men) started industrial action, a few days after a number of trade unions had signed an agreement on career paths and pay in the state-run hospital sector as a whole (FR0104144N). The midwives' action focused initially on wage and status-related demands which, as the industrial action spread and developed, became more specific and complex. Demands also arose during the dispute for the creation of additional jobs and for the improvement of working conditions. From an organisational point of view, the industrial action involved both multi-union committees (intersyndicales) and non-union rank-and-file committees (coordinations). Hospital boards were forced to draft in other staff for childbirth duties. Emergencies continued to be accepted but prenatal examinations were stopped.
Talks were held with the Ministry of Health, leading to agreement on increased wages - according to the midwife's position on the pay scale - for midwives working in public hospitals. The Ministry also agreed to future talks on occupational status. Private hospital sector midwives' pay was referred to negotiations with representatives from private hospitals and clinics. Following these talks, general assemblies were held, at which some midwives expressed their apparent dissatisfaction with the proposals. The strike action continued in some places.
In early May 2001, confusion seemed to have set in and the momentum of the strike appeared to be waning. Nevertheless, the public and other categories of hospital staff have shown great support for the midwives' action.
Midwives (sages femmes) have a special status in the French medical community, which is defined more "by what they are not" rather than what they are. Midwives are neither nurses nor doctors, and are not recognised as hospital technical staff (with whom they do not wish to be integrated). Some 56% of midwives work in the public hospital sector and 22% in private hospitals, while 12.6% are self-employed and 4.3% work in child and infant care facilities. In the public hospital sector, their monthly wages range from EUR 1,372 at entrance level to EUR 2,210 at the end of their careers. According to corroborating but unofficial sources, wages are between 15% and 45% lower in the private hospital sector.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2001), Midwives take lengthy strike action, article.
