Spanish Healthcare Workers Prepare for December Strike Amid Government Negotiations
Spanish medical professionals plan a December strike amid ongoing government talks and a new healthcare labor reform proposal.
- • Statewide medical strike scheduled for December 9-12, 2025 in Spain.
- • Ministry of Health proposes new Estatuto Marco with significant labor improvements.
- • Strict minimum service requirements during strike raise concerns among staff.
- • Additional strikes and healthcare staffing challenges continue to affect sector.
Key details
Medical professionals across Spain are gearing up for a statewide strike scheduled from December 9 to 12, 2025, as negotiations with the Ministry of Health continue. An informative assembly on December 4 aims to update healthcare workers on recent developments and proposed offers from the Ministry, which seeks to avoid the planned mobilization.
The Andalusian Health Service (SAS) plans to issue new orders establishing minimum service requirements during the strike, reportedly broader than those seen in previous strikes in June and October. This has raised concerns among medical staff about their right to protest, with many health centers facing stricter minimum service levels than before. The assembly will be held online and at the SMA headquarters in Sevilla to clarify doubts regarding the strike and discuss negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Ministry of Health has presented a new draft of the Estatuto Marco, incorporating the demands of healthcare personnel after over 60 meetings with unions, strike committees, and regional governments. The draft aims to standardize labor conditions across the National Health System, facilitate professional mobility, and improve workforce stability.
Key improvements in the draft include mandatory public employment offers every two years to end job instability, a reduction of maximum weekly working hours to 45, transformation of guard duties from 24-hour to 17-hour shifts with guaranteed rest that does not accrue debt, and strengthened protections for night and arduous shifts. It also reinforces rights tied to work-life balance and collective bargaining frameworks.
However, the draft maintains respect for regional competencies and avoids overly detailed regulations to prevent constitutional conflicts. The Ministry highlights this reform opportunity as historic, seeking collective responsibility to enact changes pending for over two decades.
Additional developments include other unions announcing an indefinite strike starting January 27, to occur every Tuesday, and ongoing debates regarding the hiring of foreign doctors and delays in cancer therapy treatments.
These ongoing negotiations and heightened strike preparations underscore the urgent state of Spain's healthcare labor environment as medical professionals push for improved working conditions while the government attempts to balance dialogue with firm minimum service requirements.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
