Miguel Lázaro, president of the Spanish medical union CESM, asserts that the ongoing doctors' strike is a governmental issue rather than a ministerial one.
Miguel Lázaro, head of the Confederación Española de Sindicatos Médicos (CESM), voiced his concerns regarding the ongoing strike by doctors across Spain. He emphasized that the root of the issue lies not with the Minister of Health but with the overarching policies of Pedro Sánchez’s government. The discontent among medical professionals is fueled by disagreements over the recently signed Estatuto Marco, which is set to undergo a challenging parliamentary approval process.
The strike, which has now entered its second week, sees six different medical unions joining forces to advocate for a unique legal status for doctors, distinct from other healthcare workers. Their demands include recognition of a professional category that respects their specific needs, limits on working hours to a maximum of 35 per week, and significant changes to the on-call duty system. Currently, the proposed legal framework seeks to reduce the on-call hours from 24 to 17, a move medical unions argue does not adequately address their concerns.
Lázaro assures that should the government engage in “real negotiations,” the unions are willing to suspend the planned protests. The situation remains tense as the unions await a response from the government, making it a critical moment for healthcare workers in Spain to achieve a resolution that could set a precedent for labor relations in the medical field.
