Health ministry approves new framework statute as health workers call fresh strike

Published on 02/06/2026 - 19:28 GMT+2•Updated 20:43

The Health Minister, Mónica García, chose not to appear at the press conference after the Council of Ministers meeting at which, after months of demonstrations that have brought together doctors and healthcare workers from across the political spectrum, her new Framework Statute for staff in this sector, which is vital in any state, was presented.

It was the government spokesperson, Socialist minister Elma Saíz, who defended this openly unpopular measure, saying it is backed by the “majority trade unions”, namely SATSE-FSES, CC.OO., UGT and CSIF, as opposed to the groups that joined forces to protest against the text approved today, which still has to go through Congress.

Professionals are calling for a series of measures that they do not see reflected in García’s reform, García being an anaesthetist and a member of the government’s minority partner Sumar, representing Más Madrid. Among other things, they want the exceptional part of their working time – on-call shifts – to count towards Social Security contributions and to receive either a night-work allowance or rest days after working several consecutive shifts, as happens under agreements for the National Police or prison staff.

Professionals are also demanding the creation of a specific A1 professional category for doctors, a maximum 35-hour working week (mornings on working days) and for any extra work to be voluntary and paid. They likewise call for the introduction of a voluntary early-retirement scheme, whether full or partial, and a ban on compulsory redeployment.

The law, which updates the framework for social and healthcare staff after two decades, reduces the maximum weekly working time to 45 hours, below the European average for the sector. The Labour Minister, Yolanda Díaz, tried to secure a general cap of 37.5 hours a week for the entire workforce, down from the current 40, but the bill was voted down by right-wing parties last September.

For on-call duties, the maximum limit is now set at 17 hours of effective work, apparently cutting the current 24-hour cap, but there is a catch: article 97 of the draft bill states that if adequate continuity of care cannot be guaranteed, and “wherever there are organisational or care-related reasons that justify it, the maximum duration” of the working day may be exceeded. The text also provides for the creation of statutory research staff and work-life balance measures.

Far from accepting the draft, critical union representatives (CESM, SMA, Metges de Catalunya, AMYTS, SME and O'MEGA) have called a new nationwide demonstration for 15 June at 12:00 outside the Health Ministry headquarters. They accuse theMinistry of pursuing a strategy of “delay, inaction and a total absence of proposals”.

Saíz argued that many of the demands still being made no longer fall under the Ministry’s remit: “It is the Autonomous Communities that have powers over pay, staffing levels, the organisation of services and much of the working conditions of professionals,” said the minister, who is also Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.