ARM: Striking Samu operators call for a rally on September 7 in front of the Ministry of Health

SOCIAL MOVEMENT Samu operators are on strike in three quarters of the territory to demand a salary “revaluation”

A medical regulation assistant, in Toulouse on August 14, 2023. — FRED SCHEIBER

Representatives of medical regulation assistants (MRAs) want to be heard by the Minister of Health. Aurelien Rousseau. For this, the operators of the Samu, on strike in three quarters of the territory to demand in particular a “revaluation” salary, call for gather on September 7 in front of the ministry, they announced; Wednesday.

At this stage, “the ARMs of 73 Samu (out of the 100 in France) are on unlimited strike”, according to a press release. of the French Association of Medical Regulator Assistants, one of the two main organizations for this profession. “Having no news from Mr. (Aurélien) Rousseau, Minister of Health, Afarm calls on the ARMs to mobilize on September 7, 2023 at; 11:00 a.m.”, in front of the ministry.

An inconspicuous movement

Started on July 3, the strike is not very visible because the striking ARMs are, like many caregivers, generally assigned by the administration. In a period of high tension in the emergency room, where authorities instruct patients to “call 15” as a first resort, MRAs have to deal with; a significant increase in activity, and are “exhausted”, denounces Afarm.

They demand “recognition” of this “difficulty”, in particular via a monthly bonus of 100 euros that professionals from other emergency structures, and details on new grids, promised by the authorities.

“We are understaffed, the problem is that our schools are only a short distance away. half fulfilled (…) Today, an ARM does day, night, weekend, somewhere puts his life aside, for 1,300 euros” Tuesday on BFM Lyon Alexandre Maluga, co-president of Afarm. “We are still waiting for (the) answer (from Aurélien Rousseau) unfortunately. There is no date set, except by the director of the DGOS (General Directorate for Care), who would like to see us at the end of September,” he added. ;. In a letter to the Minister of Health, the president of Action Praticiens Hôpital, Jean-François Cibien, also calls for grant them this “risk premium” they’re demanding.

“ARMs are the heart, they’re the ball and socket of our regulatory system. They have a particular function which, in a few years, has grown considerably (…) I consider that some of (their) claims are legitimate and we will work on it in all coming weeks”, had for his part promised mid-August Aurélien Rousseau, without specifying to what claims he was referring to.