Today, ambulance drivers went on strike in Vladikavkaz

This morning in Vladikavkaz, about 50 ambulance drivers gathered at the station and demanded a meeting with the leadership of the regional branch of the Medical Insurance Fund and the city health department. They said that they would not go to work because of wage payment delays. Representatives of the city administration came to meet the strikers and promised to solve the problem.

During the picket Vladikavkaz was under service of only four ambulance crews, who responded to emergency calls. The drivers demanded payment of wages for February and opposed the abolition of bonuses and premiums, as a result of which their earnings went down, the ITAR-TASS reports.

According to the drivers, their salary is an average of 12,000 roubles; they work for 24 hours after every 48; besides, they have to repair their ambulances for their own money. They added that no labour contracts had been concluded with them.

The strikers were approached by officials from the city administration, who promised to clear out the situation with the payment of wages to ambulance drivers. "We'll find out the situation and send a representative of labour inspectorate to you on Monday," said Elbrus Fidarov, the head of the city department of public health.

After that, all the drivers went back to work, the RIA "Novosti" reports.