Patients across Spain face five months of potential disruption after major medical unions announced plans to strike for one week every month until June. This Spanish medical unions strike action begins on 16 February and aims to force the government to negotiate a new professional framework for doctors.
The coalition of unions, which includes Metges de Catalunya and the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM), argues that current ministerial norms fail to address the specific needs of the medical profession. Therefore, they are demanding a dedicated statute that formally recognises the unique training, responsibility, and working conditions required of healthcare staff.
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Spanish medical unions strike calendar
The unions have published a specific calendar for the walkouts. Doctors plan to stop work during the following weeks:
- February: 16 to 20
- March: 16 to 20
- April: 27 to 30
- May: 18 to 22
- June: 15 to 19
Organisers describe these strikes as the “first stage” of a broader mobilisation campaign. Xavier Lleonart, a representative from the unions, stated that professionals feel unable to perform their duties effectively under the current system. “We have the feeling that they don’t let us do our job well,” he said. This action follows a recent train driver strike over safety concerns, indicating a wider trend of industrial unrest.
Protests in Madrid and Catalonia
Before the strikes begin, healthcare workers plan to hold a unitary demonstration in Madrid on Saturday, 14 February. The goal is to bring together professionals from across the state to show a united front against the Ministry of Health’s current policies. Meanwhile, this planned demonstration comes amid other labor actions, including the ongoing fishermen’s strike against new regulations.
While the Madrid protest seeks national unity, specific actions are also planned for Catalonia. Metges de Catalunya intends to organise a separate protest to address the Department of Health directly. Consequently, this local focus ensures that specific regional demands are not lost within the wider national dispute.
Demands for a new framework
The core of the dispute lies in the regulatory framework for doctors. Unions want the administration to scrap the current ministerial norm. Instead, they demand a system that accounts for the high level of responsibility and extensive training medical roles require. The strain on the system is evident in issues like the critical surgery waiting lists in Catalonia, which unions argue are exacerbated by current policies.
Despite the announcement of these strikes, union leaders insist they remain open to dialogue. They have stated that the Ministry of Health could avert the industrial action by reconsidering its position. Furthermore, they urge a return to the negotiating table with concrete proposals for improving working conditions. Full details of the announcement were reported by VilaWeb.
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