Doctors’ strike from 28 October draws minister fire

Doctors’ unions are calling a nationwide indefinite strike from 28 October. In Madrid on 16 September, Health Minister Mónica García said she would not join it if she were still practising medicine. She said the action amounted to doctors harming their own profession.

García said she felt sad and puzzled by the strike call. In her view, many of the demands concern powers held by Spain’s autonomous communities, rather than her ministry.

She pointed to the reform of the Estatuto Marco, the framework law covering health workers’ conditions. García said it is the first such law in 23 years to open a route to better working conditions.

The bill is already before the Congreso de los Diputados, Spain’s parliament. MPs can amend it, reject it or pass it, she said.

García said the state law sets the framework, but the autonomous communities must provide the money and staff because they are the employers. That includes cutting shifts from 24 hours to 12 hours, which would require more colleagues to share the workload.

She also said some autonomous communities have already reached agreements with the same unions now calling the nationwide strike. García urged them to take their case to parliament, where the bill can be debated and changed.

Topics: Strikes · Jobs & labour · Health · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com