President to Announce Whether or Not He Signs Consolidation Package on Friday

Bratislava, October 17 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini will announce his decision as to whether or not he signs the consolidation package on Friday (October 18) morning. Before that, he will meet with Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) and decide based on what the minister can offer to health workers. "In the morning I will hold a meeting with the health minister to learn about the current state of the negotiations and whether or not he succeeded in negotiating something with the finance minister. I will listen to what the government or the minister is able to offer to health workers and medical staff and I will decide based on that," the president told journalists during his trip to Nitra region on Thursday. The head of the state wants to know to what extent ministers are willing to do things differently from how they are currently set in the consolidation package. "If I come to the conclusion that it is sufficient from my point of view, since I've called for a compromise, I will make a decision tomorrow," added Pellegrini. Health workers across the sector reject the consolidation measures in the health-care sector and have called on the president not to sign them in their current form. He declared that the potential signing of the legislation will depend on the result of the government's negotiations with health professionals. Sasko has been holding talks with representatives of health workers, as well as Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) since the beginning of the week. He believes that they will manage to find a compromise on consolidation. He wants to present the solution by he end of the week. ko/mcs