At the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), midwives have gone on strike demanding a pay rise and greater recognition for their profession, in the framework of International Midwifery Day.
On Tuesday, they gathered in front of the HUG maternity hospital in Geneva, denouncing the lack of appreciation for their professional skills and demanding a salary increase that, according to them, has been delayed for almost 20 years.
"Patience has its limits," emphasized some of the midwives, recalling that, despite Bachelor's degrees from specialized higher education institutions (HES), they continue to be classified in salary scale 15, with a starting salary of under 5.500 Swiss francs per month.
According to them, the role of midwives goes far beyond assisting in childbirth. They emphasized that they are involved in complex medical follow-up, emergency management, and provide ongoing psychological support to patients, while maintaining high professional responsibility.
“Increasingly autonomous”
Julie, a midwife at HUG, emphasizes that the issue is not just about salary, but also about the attractiveness of the profession and the quality of healthcare.
"We have been demanding this salary increase for three years. Our profession has evolved over the last 25 years. We are becoming more and more autonomous and more and more autonomy is being demanded of us, but without an appropriate salary increase. If we want to maintain the quality of care, we must be paid according to our value. New generations are coming and we cannot sell them a dream without a decent salary," she told RTS, albinfo.ch reports.
Petition with thousands of signatures
In parallel with the protest, a group of mothers has launched a petition that has collected around 3.000 signatures in support of their demands.
For its part, the directorate of the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) has announced that there will be no changes in salaries as long as the "G'Evolue" process is underway, a major project aimed at reviewing and harmonizing salaries in the public sector of Geneva.
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