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 The hard-left CGT trade union said the coronavirus crisis had
underlined the need to increase the number of nurses and intensive
care beds in public hospitals, as well as improve salary terms.
At the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois outside Paris,
where all 16 available critical care beds are full - nearly all with
COVID-19 patients - nurses worked through their strike to ensure
life-saving care was maintained.
"We've been fighting for years for this pay increase," said nurse
Aurelie Lesueur, the words 'On strike - Burnout' scrawled on the
back of her medical scrubs.
Lesueur and her colleagues said the specific skills of an ICU nurse
should be recognised, as they were for other roles such as in
pediatrics and anaesthesiology, and reflected in pay packets.
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 A year on the frontline in the
fight against COVID-19 had taken a mental and
physical toll, Lesueur said. Some colleagues had
quit and others were on sick leave. Staff
shortages meant two beds in her ward were
closed, the nurse added.
As France slowly unwinds a third national
lockdown, pressure remains acute on hospitals.
The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive
care this week fell back below 5,000, the
threshold for full saturation.
A protest outside the Health Ministry is planned
later on Tuesday.
"We're exhausted," said nurse Celia Leger. "We
want recognition for the particular care we
provide."
(Reporting by Clotaire Achi; Editing by Richard
Lough and Mike Collett-White)
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