Spanish Doctors Protest Health Ministry Ahead of Strike Halt OR Spain Doctors’ Strike: Protests & Failed Negotiations with Health Ministry
Manifestación de médicos ante el Ministerio de Sanidad antes del paro de huelga en febrero.
Just two days ago, the Confederación Española de Sindicatos Médicos (CESM) blamed the Ministry of Health for refusing to resume negotiations to address the demands of the medical strike committee, following accusations by Minister Mónica García that the convening unions were using patients as “hostages.” However, the reality is that there was an attempt to reach an agreement between both parties before the official announcement of the pact between Health and the Foro de la Profesión Médica on March 5th, to include measures of professional participation, classification, and recognition of hardship in the draft Law of the Estatuto Marco (Framework Statute). An agreement that the strike committee does not endorse, despite the current legal framework and a 2013 document authorizing the Foro Médico to negotiate with the ministry on labor and human resource organization issues.
According to information accessed by Redacción Médica, the Ministry of Health sent the draft agreement with the Foro de la Profesión Médica – in which CESM is represented – to the strike committee, which as well includes CESM. The document outlined four commitments that were later reflected in the March 5th statement: creation of specific participation areas for the medical profession, adaptation of professional classification to the European Higher Education Area (MECES), improvement of on-call compensation with a hardship supplement for nighttime hours in addition to the existing continuous care supplement, and initiation of the process to request early retirement following Social Security regulations.
The Strike Committee’s Counteroffer
The strike committee responded to the Ministry of Health on March 2nd with a counterproposal, whose header features the logos of all its members: CESM, the Sindicato Médico Andaluz (SMA), the Asociación de Médicos y Titulados Superiores de Madrid (Amyts), Metges de Catalunya, the Sindicato Médico de Euskadi (SME), and the Sindicato de Facultativos de Galicia Independientes (O’mega). CESM itself published the document on its website, the opening paragraph of which reads: “We wish to formally convey this proposal to resume dialogue in order to resolve the painful conflict in which we are immersed.”
The organizations considered it “essential” to establish “a national-level negotiation with representatives elected by doctors and specialists” to “reach an agreement that addresses the just demands of the profession”: “Such an agreement must end the conditions that discriminate against the medical and specialist collective, routinely supported by organizations that historically and daily demonstrate a failure to defend the collective.”
The unions conveyed several demands divided into five blocks. These are essentially the same demands they have been presenting since the beginning of the confrontation with the Ministry of Health. A dedicated negotiation forum, a new professional classification system based on “specialization and level of responsibility” that entails a “coherent” change in basic remuneration, a weekly working day of 35 hours with a daily schedule from 8 am to 3 pm, the consideration of anything exceeding that ordinary day as “overtime” and its remuneration above the maximum ordinary hourly rate, the inclusion of rest periods after on-call shifts as working hours, an incompatibility regime “equal” to that of other public employees, recognition as a risk profession, a flexible and voluntary retirement system between 60 and 70 years of age, and access to early and partial retirement.
These measures, according to the proposal, would bring a “double benefit”: “On the one hand, it would achieve a substantial improvement in the quality of care that doctors and specialists provide to citizens, the ultimate objective of the improvements demanded by the representatives of doctors and specialists. it would lead to an undeniable retention of medical talent and even an ‘attraction effect’ for doctors from other places, which could be a solution to the fact that currently Notice no medical professionals who want to work in the public health system.”
The Ministry of Health’s Response to the Medical Unions
The Ministry of Health responded in writing to the strike committee point by point, explaining that part of these demands are already contemplated in the draft bill of the Estatuto Marco – such as the progress towards a 35-hour week, the inclusion of mandatory rest periods as ordinary hours, the limitation of on-call shifts, and access to partial retirement – and explaining why other demands have no legal basis in that legislative reform – such as salary revaluation, which falls under the General State Budgets (PGE) and the autonomous communities, and the request for early retirement and recognition as a risk profession, which have their own “specific regulations” updated in May 2025.
The ministry was firm regarding the requested schedule of 8 am to 3 pm: “Hospitals and health centers do not close at 3 pm. Any health service in any country provides healthcare 24/7/365. Considering only the morning schedule as ordinary hours and the rest as overtime would mean that 80 percent of healthcare and continuity of care (afternoons, nights, and weekends) could not be guaranteed.”
The medical demand for an incompatibility regime identical to that of other public employees also draws attention. As clarified by the Ministry of Health in its response, this would imply more restrictions than currently exist for doctors. “The incompatibilities of public officials generally prohibit the simultaneous holding of two or more public positions or the combination of one public position with private activities that compromise impartiality, independence, or constitute a conflict of interest,” the document states.
Regarding incompatibility with another public position, “the general rule is that you cannot hold more than one job in the public sector,” according to the Ministry of Health. As for exceptions, “cases are allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as part-time university teaching or certain health positions, with prior authorization.” And regarding private activities, it is “prohibited to hold positions in private companies that are directly related to the functions of the position or that interfere with the working day.”
The attempt at negotiation between the Ministry of Health and the strike committee did not succeed. Following this, the ministry and the Foro de la Profesión Médica signed their agreement and publicized it with a photograph featuring the Minister of Health, Mónica García; the Director General of Professional Organization, Miguel Ángel Máñez; the President of the OMC, Tomás Cobo; the President of Facme, Cristina Avendaño; the President of the National Conference of Deans of Medical Schools, Antonio Compañ; the President of CEEM, Teresa Serrano; and the General Secretary of CESM, Víctor Pedrera. The unions of the strike committee responded with various statements announcing that they would continue with their schedule of mobilizations. The second weekly strike of the called strike will start next Monday, March 16th.
Las informaciones publicadas en Redacción Médica contienen afirmaciones, datos y declaraciones procedentes de instituciones oficiales y profesionales sanitarios. No obstante, ante cualquier duda relacionada con su salud, consulte con su especialista sanitario correspondiente.