Vets walk out on strike

VETS across France are on strike today in protest at new law which will which restrict their ability to administer drugs.

Their union, the Syndicat national des vétérinaires d'exercice libéral SNVEL, which represents 40% of independent veterinary businesses, says between 2,500-300 vets will also march in Paris.

It is the first time the union has taken strike action and vets will only be treating emergency cases in protest at plans to limit antibiotic use contained in a new agriculture law passing through parliament.

The two ministers involved, Health Minister Marisol Touraine and Agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll, have agreed to meet them but, despite that section of the law being deleted, the vets are continuing their strike to ensure it is not reinserted later.

They said future meetings would be a base to discuss the reduction in the use of antibiotics which needed to be brought under control.

Ministers say that the government’s Écoantibio programme over the past five years has seen the amount of antibiotics used in the veterinary sector drop 40%.

Photo: by Flickr/Alyak