Michael Coy
DOCTORS across Spain are set to walk out tomorrow, Friday, June 13, in a one-day national strike demanding legislative reform to improve their working conditions.
The strike, spearheaded by the State Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM) and the Andalucian Medical Union (SMA), calls for a new ‘Framework Law’ with a central provision to reduce doctors’ weekly working hours.
The unions argue that the current working conditions are unsustainable, leading to burnout and an exodus of professionals from the public health system.
Their demands include a 35-hour working week, compensation for on-call shifts, fair pay for overtime, and more predictable working hours.
“The current situation is, in fact, unsustainable. More and more doctors are leaving the National Health System. That is why public healthcare is collapsing. That is why we need to speak out in defence of our rights,” CESM and SMA said in a joint statement.
The planned strike will not affect essential health services. Medical staff assigned to minimum service duties must maintain Sunday or holiday-level service provision, ensuring uninterrupted care for patients needing urgent treatment such as dialysis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and catheterisation.
Demonstrations are scheduled nationwide in support of the strike. In Sevilla, protesters will gather at 11am outside Virgen del Rocio University Hospital.
In the Valencian Community, the Regional Council of Valencian Medical Associations (CCMV) – which represents Alicante, Castellon, and Valencia – has endorsed the strike. Demonstrations are planned at 12.30pm at the Government Delegation headquarters in Valencia and the Government Subdelegation in Alicante, and at noon at Castellon General Hospital.
In contrast, in Catalunya, the CESM-affiliated Simecat and the independent Metges de Catalunya have not backed the action.
The dispute centres on the renewal of the 2003 Framework Law governing medical labour conditions. Talks began two years ago, but doctors rejected both the initial draft presented in January and the revised version released in May. The most recent proposal from the Ministry of Health includes a working week of 45 hours and allows 24-hour on-call shifts to continue on weekends and in hard-to-fill posts, though with employee consent and prior risk assessment.
Health Minister Monica Garcia acknowledged earlier this week that the negotiations were ‘going well’, adding that the latest version of the draft addresses ‘many of the problems’ identified in previous iterations. Among proposed changes is a reduction in maximum on-call shifts to 17 hours. However, unions maintain that the current plan could still result in effective workweeks of up to 70 hours.
Doctors insist on a separate law that recognises their specialised training and the unique demands of their profession. “We are calling this strike for the future of public healthcare,” the unions said.
With positions between the ministry and unions still ‘very far apart’, according to CESM, Friday’s strike is expected to serve as a major test of the government’s willingness to compromise – and the medical profession’s resolve to fight for systemic change.
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