Doctors in Catalonia to strike Monday and Friday amid national healthcare dispute

Doctors in Catalonia are joining a new strike this week to demand better working conditions, particularly in response to healthcare overload and professional burnout. 

The Metges de Catalunya (Doctors of Catalonia) union has called strikes on Monday and Friday, directly addressing the Department of Health and warning Catalan Health Minister Olga Pané that "the conflict cannot be ignored." 

Key demands include better working hours and rest periods, the elimination of 24-hour on-call shifts, and the hiring of additional staff to reduce workload. 

The union's general secretary, Xavier Lleonart, emphasized that they are seeking "decent conditions to be able to care properly for patients." 

At the national level, the strike runs across all five weekdays and is organized by the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM), which includes regional unions such as Doctors of Catalonia. Catalan healthcare staff are explicitly called to participate on Monday and Friday, but they may also down tools throughout the week, in the context of the Spain-wide strike.

It’s also expected that healthcare staff in Catalonia will take their demands to the streets on Friday.

Catalan and Spanish doctors have mobilized in recent months over a new framework statute for healthcare professionals, the law regulating labor relations for statutory personnel in the National Health System (SNS), which has not been revised in 20 years. 

Although the Ministry of Health and negotiating unions signed a new agreement in January, medical organizations did not support it, feeling underrepresented and insisting that their demands need a specific response.

In early January, Metges de Catalunya and other regional medical unions joined the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions strike committee to form a united front. 

The committee has scheduled five-day strikes each month, starting now and expected to continue until June.

Emergency services guaranteed

The national strike formally runs from 12 am Monday to 11:59 pm Friday and affects all medical personnel. 

Metges de Catalunya's specific call covers Monday 8 am to Tuesday 8 am, and Friday 8 am to Saturday 8 am. 

Minimum services are in place to ensure normal operation of emergency departments, intensive care units (ICUs), and other critical units. Unpostponable surgeries will also continue.