Doctors threaten strike over 75-hour working week

Doctors in Madrid are threatening an open-ended strike after ministers approved a bill on their working conditions. APEMYF, the Professional Grouping for a Medical and Specialist Statute, issued the warning on 1 September. It says the government and parliamentary groups must change provisions it considers unacceptable.

The group says the Estatuto Marco bill, the proposed framework for medical staff employment, ignores doctors’ demands. It claims working weeks for doctors and specialists could reach 75 hours — terms it says do not apply to other health professionals in the same way.

APEMYF also attacks the retention of 24-hour shifts. The bill presents them as voluntary, it says, but in practice they could be dictated by “service needs”.

The organisation warns that excessive hours, 24-hour shifts and too little rest cause exhaustion, raise the risk of errors and make it harder to give patients the highest-quality care. It also criticises the government for progressing with the bill with backing from general unions and the professional nursing union.

The Unión Médica y Facultativa (UMYF) is due to announce its next steps on Wednesday, 9 September. APEMYF says it is prepared to begin an open-ended strike if the bill is not changed.

Topics: Court cases · Strikes · Jobs & labour · Health · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com