THE HAGUE, 12/09/00 - Nurses and care workers demand that the government should invest 4 billion guilders in improving their position. This money should be used to make the profession more attractive.

The national nursing coordination center presented this demand today in an 'alternative speech from the throne' during a demonstration in The Hague. Since the mass demonstrations by nursing staff ten years ago, their position has deteriorated even further, the coordination center claimed.

The work of the 400,000 nurses is insufficiently appreciated. This must change, the 'Queen's speech' insisted. One use for the extra money would be to expend the training capacity for nursing students. More money is also needed for supervision, improvement of quality and research.