Overview
- A broad front of medical unions led by CESM and regional groups announced an indefinite national strike that will begin on 28 October, the Comité de Huelga said.
- Unions demand a distinct Estatuto Médico y Facultativo and concrete workplace changes including a real 35‑hour ordinary week, pay or credit for excess hours, voluntary on‑call (guardia) systems, professional classification tied to specialization and adjusted retirement rules.
- The Ministry of Health says it tried to avoid the strike, has acknowledged doctors' grievances and has invited parliamentary study and talks while leaving the draft Estatuto Marco in Congress.
- Earlier stoppages this year led to large service disruption—regional authorities say Galicia cancelled roughly 300,000 medical acts and Andalusian strikes cost hundreds of millions—raising concern about patient care if the October strike proceeds.
- The Estatuto Marco was approved by the Council of Ministers on 1 September and is now in tramitation in the Congress, where unions plan to press for full amendments or repeal and both sides prepare political and parliamentary strategies.