Doctors begin on Tuesday, December 9 their third strike of the year against the Health Statute.
Doctors across Spain are set to begin a four-day strike on Tuesday to protest the Health Ministry’s proposed a statute, which they say fails to address long-standing professional demands.
The Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM, in Spanish) called the strike through Friday, December 12.
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Medical professionals are pushing for a dedicated negotiation framework and their own statute to secure direct bargaining over working conditions, fair compensation, and recognition of specialized training and responsibilities.
Key demands include a maximum 35-hour workweek with voluntary and compensated overtime, flexible early retirement options without financial penalty, and stronger guarantees for rest and work-life balance.
Mejoras incluidas en el borrador del Estatuto Marco. pic.twitter.com/zeYCfi050K
— Ministerio de Sanidad (@sanidadgob) December 5, 2025
Healthcare Services Amid the Strike
Hospital minimum services will run at 50% of usual capacity for inpatient wards, hospital pharmacies, home hospitalization units, outpatient clinics, specialty centers, and blood transfusion centers.
Critical services—including dialysis, radiotherapy, ICUs, recovery units, transplant programs, day hospitals, priority surgeries, and oncology—will operate normally, while emergency services will function at reduced Sunday-level staffing.
Primary care emergency units will also maintain regular schedules.
Further Efforts
Other unions, including Satse and Intersindical Salut-IV, have unveiled a new series of demonstrations. A first rally is scheduled for December 16 outside the Health Ministry, targeting delays in implementing the 35-hour workweek and other reforms. The Medical Union plans ongoing biweekly gatherings.
The Health Ministry has urged restraint, warning that blocking the draft would squander a “historic opportunity” to modernize a law dormant for 20 years.
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