The trade unions SATSE, ELA, LAB, SME, CCOO and UGT have called for a strike in Osakidetza on 18 and 19 May. There are about 40,000 workers on strike, which will begin on 17 May at 22:00 and end on 19 at 22:00. According to the trade unions, the strike has been "broadly monitored" on the first day, although official data have not yet been provided. However, according to the Department of Health, the night shift had a follow-up of 0.10% and the morning shift of 9.9%.

Trade unions denounce the "excess" of minimum services for workers. The ELA representative, Eider Saavedra, told EITB that, as a result of the minimal services imposed on them, "thousands of workers" have denied the right to huelga.En hospitals will work the workers of a regular holiday, while in Primary Care must go those who work when they opened the outpatient clinics on Saturdays. In continuing care and emergency services, the working day during these days of strike will be an ordinary day.

Saavedra adds that the problems of Osakidetza are "structural", although Osakidetza uses the pandemic as an "excuse" to explain the current situation.

The strike was announced in March and negotiations have since been blocked. They note that the situation in Osakidetza is "serious", especially in Primary Care. They denounce that the situation of workers is "increasingly precarious", among other things because the rate of temporary workers is high and they suffer a "systematic overload" of work.

Calls for mobilisation

The protests will take place on the first day of strike in hospitals and health centres. On 19 May they will be mobilised in the capitals under the slogan Salvemos Osakidetza. Demonstrations will begin at 12:00: In Vitoria by the Plaza de la Burullería, in Bilbao by the Sacred Heart and in San Sebastian by the Boulevard.

In the morning they focused on Txagorritxu, Basurto and Hospital Donostia. Among others, the strikers have requested the resignation of Health Advisor Gotzone Sagardui. In Vitoria, strikers have occupied the University Hospital, and have screamed like "There are no cuts" and "They are not restructuring, dismantling" and "The public is not sold, defends".

Statements by Sagardui

As part of the strike, the Health Advisor denies the dissolution of Osakidetza and notes that spending and investment data show "the opposite". Among others, it states that there are five public job offers to stabilize more than 11,000 jobs, that have increased annual health expenditure per person from EUR 1,800 to EUR 2,114, and that Osakidetza is carrying out investments and projects in both hospitals and primary care.

The counselor acknowledges that there is a problem, but places its origin outside Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa: Spain and Europe. Among them is the lack of family doctors. Thus, points out that this situation will last a long time and that they have to plan solutions so that "if it is not in a center, care is guaranteed".