Tijuana, August 10.- Nursing staff at the Maternal and Child Hospital (HMI) denounced during a protest that the state government intends to fire around 300 workers and then rehire them at lower wages and without benefits, to which they already have access. They are employed through the Medical Specialties Unit (Uneme).
They've heard rumors that when their contracts expire—on December 31—they won't renew them, as the Maternal and Child Hospital will become part of Isesalud, explained one worker who declined to give his name. He added that there are approximately 300 employees, including doctors, janitors, and nurses. "They're not hiring us directly, and we don't know if it will be with our same position and seniority," he said.
They commented that most of them have been working at the hospital since 2019, so they believe they should have a job; their contracts expire on December 31, and they fear they won't be renewed as part of a health sector strategy to reduce their workload, exploiting laws that are against workers.
They reported that some nurses' contracts were terminated and not renewed, and instead hired people close to the director of the HMI, Héctor Enrique Ochoa.
"There's a decree that came out last year, signed by the governor. They say Uneme was supposed to be absorbed by Isesalud, and all our rights to seniority, salary, and everything would be respected. But 15 days ago, the director gave us another version: this month's contracts would end, and the rest of the people's contracts would end on December 31. It's unfair because most of us had open-ended contracts."
The workers say they simply want to continue working under the same conditions they were hired under in 2019 when the Maternal and Child Hospital opened.
