Overview
- Metges de Catalunya began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, October 28, and the Canary Islands have been on an indefinite walkout since October 16 as unions press for talks and concrete fixes to staffing and working conditions.
- Madrid carried out the first block of planned regional stoppages but the strike committee suspended the 29–30 October paros as a mark of respect after the Toledo/Urda train accident.
- Unions demand a 35‑hour workweek, limits or reform to 24‑hour on‑call shifts, better pay for guardias and extra hours, clearer career progression and targeted hires to cut long waiting lists.
- Regional governments have issued high services mínimos that guarantee urgent and critical care in hospitals and set primary care cover at roughly 25% on day one and about one‑third thereafter while reporting low initial follow‑up figures (Catalonia ~4.5%, Canary Islands ~6.18%).
- The dispute is playing out region by region because Spain’s health system is decentralized, and the strikes could raise lasting pressure on budgets, scheduling of elective care and the pace of any national Estatuto Marco talks once a new government is formed.