The Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM) and the Andalusian Medical Union (SMA) have called for four consecutive days of national strikes, beginning this Tuesday December 9th and ending on Friday, December 12th.
This is the third walkout due to the reform of the Framework Statute, following those on October 3rd and June 13th of this year.
While healthcare professionals have long been calling for a reform, they believe the budgetary changes will jeopardise improvements in working conditions and healthcare services.
The CESM has planned demonstrations across all regions of Spain, which will affect many residents.
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In Madrid, the Amyts union has called for a demonstration in front of the Congress of Deputies on Tuesday December 9th at 10 am, followed by a march to the headquarters of the Ministry of Health on the Paseo del Prado.
This comes after almost three years of negotiations and more than 60 meetings between the Ministry of Health, unions and strike committees, who are trying to come to an agreement on the Statue, which has been in force since 2003.
The unions believe that basic salaries should reflect the new classification framework for staff within the National Health System. They also aim to establish regulations that guarantee a “decent and adequate” work schedule, which allow for a balance of work and family life, and a voluntary early and partial retirement.
Currently, healthcare staff work a standard 37.5-hour week, not including mandatory on-call shifts , which vary depending on the specific department, meaning there is no defined limit.
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According to CESM, the latest draft “does not classify on-call duty as extraordinary activity, nor does it guarantee remuneration above the ordinary hourly rate, nor that these hours count as time worked for retirement, nor a clear and well-defined schedule to establish their voluntary nature.”
Doctors and unions complain that these extra shifts are not included in Social Security contributions, and while they are taxed, they are not counted as working time.
The Ministry of Health, led by Mónica García, believes that it “has reached the maximum possible development within the limits of a basic state law, establishing a common framework without encroaching on regional powers”.
“Blocking the approval of the new Framework Statute due to demands outside the scope of its competence would mean losing a historic opportunity for reform that we have been waiting for, for two decades,” she added.
If the unions still cannot reach an agreement after the latest stoppages, nationwide protests may affect healthcare facilities for a significant period of time moving forward.
