The Ministry of Health has achieved one Advance agreement with the main unions in the health sector to move forward with this Reform of the framework statutes of the staff of the National Health System (SNS). This measure follows the explicit support of the organizations in the negotiating area – SATSE-FSES, FSS-CCOO, UGT, CSIF and CIG-Saúde – for the draft of the new regulations, despite the calls of some autonomous communities governed by the People’s Party to withdraw the text during the last Interterritorial Council of the SNS. As the unions said in a statement, the six-hour meeting discussed “very important” progress for health service personnel in the Estuary region.
Likewise, “it was agreed to send the unions a document with the.” obligations assumed by the Ministry”, which, as they have assured, “will be analyzed in detail by the group of organizations to check whether the points discussed in the meeting are fulfilled.” Thanks to this agreement, the closures announced for every Tuesday from January 27 have also been suspended, which will allow the regulatory process to continue without destabilizing services, as announced by the Ministry of Health.
Nevertheless, the group for a medical and optional statute (APEMYF) is coming together 16 medical facilitiesincluding AMYTS, has pointed out that the advance agreement was only negotiated with non-medical unions, which is why it stands by its demand Strike for January 14th and 15th. APEMYF speakers question the scope of the pact and call for a specific dialogue process for medical personnel.
The points adopted include the implementation of a normal working day 35 hours per weekThe application of which will be decided in the relevant negotiating forums after assessing the organization and support needs of the healthcare system. In addition, the preliminary agreement provides for access to Partial retirement for statutory staff who meet the requirements established by social security and opens up the possibility of early retirement for some professional groups after carrying out a study on working conditions. These commitments, the ministerial note emphasizes, “enable progress on labor rights without jeopardizing the stability of health care.”
“We have managed to make progress on fundamental aspects that were still to come (…). We will be able to suspend the strike planned for the end of January if everything we have agreed on is reflected in the text,” he explained. Fernando Hontangaresponsible for health at the Independent Trade Union Center and Civil Servants (CSIF), according to Europe Press. The idea being considered by the bargaining zone unions would be to reach a final agreement before December 23rd.
In addition, the issues of the new remuneration model in connection with professional classification will be regulated in an agreement that is independent of the reforms of the framework statutes. As the ministry said in its statement, this area is regulated by special agreements as it falls outside its direct competence.
In view of the protests by workers across Spain, the minister said Monica García Insists that the draft framework statute contains the following:all staff requirements that fall within its competence” without addressing issues that concern other laws or departments. García recognizes that the text does not solve everything, but “what it can do is stop abuses and establish common rules and common frameworks for the entire territory.”
Let us remember that the regulation of these working conditions for health professionals in Spain is the first in 22 years. This process has gone through numerous difficulties and has not been dealt with until now Three years of negotiations and more than 61 meetingsthat an advance agreement has been reached that generally satisfies the entire group.
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