Nationwide Doctors’ Strike in Spain on June 13th: After months of fruitless negotiations with the Ministry of Health, doctors across Spain will cease work this coming Friday, June 13th. The strike call, initiated by the State Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM) and the Andalusian Medical Union (SMA), aims to secure “the future of public health” and highlight the insufficient progress in reshaping the framework statute.
Months of Negotiations Without a Breakthrough
Negotiations on the new framework statute, which is intended to regulate the working conditions of all employees in the national health system, are proving difficult. Minister of Health Mónica García described the talks as “going well,” but according to CESM, the positions between her team and the medical unions are “very far apart.” This discrepancy has led to the current strike call, which aims to send a clear message to the ministry: “We are serious, and this conflict will not stop until we receive fair treatment.”
Who Is Striking and What Exceptions Apply
The strike on Friday, June 13th, targets all doctors in Group A1, regardless of contract type, status, or type of employment. Personnel in specialized health training are also called to participate, as are doctors in all types of management centers.
Important Exceptions: Doctors who are part of minimum services are not allowed to participate. These must guarantee 100% of the services normally provided on Sundays or holidays. This is to ensure continuity of care for patients with acute treatment needs, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, dialysis, or hemodynamic treatments. However, the SMA emphasizes that minimum services only cover the tasks of the assigned position and not the representation of striking colleagues.
Regional Differences and Support
The determination of minimum services is the responsibility of the individual autonomous communities. In many regions, in addition to the strike, “concentrations in government delegations or health centers” are planned.
- Madrid: Although the majority union Amyts is not calling for a strike, it is organizing a rally in front of the Congress of Deputies on Friday at 10:00 AM to support the striking colleagues.
- Andalusia: In addition to the nationwide strike, the SMA is calling for a gathering at 11:00 AM in front of the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville.
- Valencia: The Autonomous Council of Medical Colleges of Valencia (CCMV) publicly supports the strike call. Concentrations are planned for 12:30 PM in front of the government delegation offices in Valencia and Alicante, and at noon sharp in front of the General Hospital of Castellón.
- Catalonia: Neither Simecat nor Metges de Catalunya has called for strike action here.
The current strike call for this Friday is supported by the Medical Profession Forum, which includes organizations such as the Collegiate Medical Organization (OMC), the Federation of Scientific and Medical Associations of Spain (FACME), and the National Council of Medical Students (CEEM). European trade union organizations such as the European Federation of Microbiology Societies (FEMS) are also showing solidarity.
Doctors’ Core Demands: More Than Just Hours
Negotiations on renewing the 2003 framework statute began two years ago. The first draft from the Ministry of Health in January was met with “outrage” from doctors. The second version in May, which proposed a 45-hour week and still allowed 24-hour on-call shifts on weekends and holidays, was also rejected by the medical profession.
The main demands of the medical associations include:
- Their own statute that recognizes the specific characteristics of their profession and their long training.
- A reduction in working hours to 35 hours per week.
- “Compensatory” breaks after on-call duties, which are considered effective working time.
- Fair compensation for overtime that is not “below normal working hours.”
- A clear demarcation of ordinary working hours and on-call duty to avoid irregular distribution at management’s discretion.
Doctors criticize that the ministry’s proposal would practically mean a mandatory working week of 60 to 70 hours. Although Minister Mónica García hinted at limiting on-call duties to a maximum of 17 hours, doctors consider this excessive and warn of the impact of accumulated fatigue on the quality of care. A recently published draft allows for 24-hour shifts in “exceptional situations” such as weekends or positions with difficult coverage, but only with the employee’s consent and prior risk assessment.
Following the last meeting on December 2nd, union sources indicate that the unions are still awaiting answers on key issues such as professional classification and the abolition of any obligation to work exclusively for the public system. They perceive “some receptiveness” only regarding the regulation of localized on-call duties.
CESM and SMA emphasize the urgency of the situation: “The new framework statute aims to entrench the current status quo, which is based on maintaining the public health system at the expense of doctors’ labor rights. The current situation is indeed untenable. More and more doctors are leaving the national health system. That is why public health is declining. Therefore, it is necessary for us to raise our voices to defend our rights.”
Ministry of Health’s Position: Changes and Open Questions
In its latest draft, published on Wednesday afternoon, the Ministry of Health maintains exclusivity for “middle managers and senior officials.” It eliminates “the workday before and after on-call duty,” ensuring no accrued hour debt, and mandates “prior consent and an occupational health assessment” for any schedule extensions.
Similarly, the latest version of the health proposal considers “excessive workload” when a professional has to complete “more than five shifts in a calendar month.” In this “exceptional” situation, the occupational risk prevention service will be involved to “create a report analyzing the causes and proposing corrective measures.” On-call duties remain mandatory, although the right to leave for illness or for personnel over 55 is recognized.
Minister Mónica García expressed optimism on Monday, stating that negotiations were “going well” and that the new text resolves “many of the problems” of the first draft. She stressed that “precariousness will be ended” by introducing 17-hour on-call shifts instead of 24-hour ones, streamlining return times after on-call duties, and empowering healthcare professionals. The specific characteristics of doctors will also be included in a separate chapter.
However, the minister’s refusal to comment on the decision of numerous unions in the negotiation area (CCOO, UGT, CSIF, CIG, and FSES) to leave the negotiation table in protest against an aggression against a CCOO delegate and the “blockade” of acquired commitments, leaves questions open and underscores the complexity of the current situation.
