Indefinite doctors' strike could begin in Spain in October

Doctors are stepping up their opposition to the Government's proposed health service reforms, with unions warning that the dispute is far from over

Doctors in Spain could launch an indefinite strike from October in a move that could put further pressure on the country's public health service.

The Confederación Española de Sindicatos Médicos (CESM) is proposing a permanent stoppage as part of a new phase of its campaign against the Government’s proposed reform of the Estatuto Marco, which sets out working conditions for staff in Spain's public health system.

The exact October start date has not yet been decided. The proposal will be put to the strike committee when it meets on Thursday September 10, with the union hoping the plan will be approved.

CESM say the dispute is far from over and that doctors have not abandoned any of their demands. The proposed indefinite strike comes after the Government approved the Estatuto Marco in the Council of Ministers and sent it to Congress for parliamentary consideration.

CESM says this means its campaign now needs to move into a different phase, with greater pressure on politicians as well as legal action. The union plans to meet with parliamentary groups to ask whether they support the proposed legislation. Those opposed to it will be asked to submit an amendment rejecting the bill in its entirety.

It is also preparing legal challenges over parts of the proposed reform which it believes breach European regulations.

For patients, the prospect of an indefinite strike is likely to be the biggest concern. CESM president Miguel Lázaro acknowledged that industrial action would affect people using the public health system. He called on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to show “responsibility and empathy”, arguing that patients would ultimately be the ones affected by a permanent stoppage.

At the heart of the dispute are doctors' working hours and the way their specific working conditions are negotiated. The proposed Estatuto Marco would reduce the maximum length of a medical on-call shift from 24 hours to 17, while limiting the working week to 45 hours. It also includes provisions preventing doctors from being required to start a normal working shift immediately after an on-call period.

Doctors are calling instead for a 35-hour working week and a separate professional statute reflecting the particular responsibilities of medical staff.

Health Minister Mónica García has defended the reform as a substantial improvement to working conditions and a long-awaited replacement for the current framework, which dates back to 2003.

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Images: CESM