ELA, Satse, LAB, KMO, CC. oo. and the UGT have declared strike days for May 18 and 19 to denounce that “the public health problems are structural”. Demonstrations have been organized in the three capitals and concentrations in several primary care centers.
This Thursday, May 18will be the first of the two days strike will be carried out throughout the Osakidetza network, convened by the trade unions ELA, Satse, LAB, the Euskadi Medical Union (SME), CC. oo. and UGT. The strike and mobilizations will also continue on Friday, May 19.
The protest day on Thursday is accompanied by demonstrations in the three capitals of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. Bee 09:30 hours, the marches begin in Bilbao (from Basurto Hospital) and Donostia (from Donostia Hospital); while that of Vitoria-Gasteiz will begin 12:00 am hours and goes from the Santiago Hospital to the Olagibel outpatient clinic.
A call has also been made to participate concentrations that will take place for several primary care centers on the 1:00 PM opening hours: dr. Areilza Polyclinic (Bilbao), Las Arenas Polyclinic (Getxo), Ariz Polyclinic (Basauri), Zaballa Polyclinic (Barakaldo), Amara Berri Polyclinic (Donostia), Irun Centro Polyclinic, Torrekua Polyclinic (Eibar) and in the Zumarraga Health Center.
In Vitoria-Gasteiz there is a meeting in front of Txagorritxu Hospital at 09:30.
With these mobilizations, the unions want to denounce “the dismantling of public health”. The union representatives criticize the “serious situation that Osakidetza is going through” and “the blocking of negotiations”, with a health ministry that they say has “decided to remain deaf and dumb to the noise of the street”, in reference to the massive demonstrations on February 25.
According to the union majority (ESK was left out of the call), the situation is “particularly worrying” in First concern, for which “Osakidetza has no plan but to make further cuts.” An example of this “dismantling”, according to the factories, is the “closures and cutbacks” in several Ongoing Service Points (PAC), intended to “extend the reduction of hours throughout the year”.
ELA, Satse, LAB, KMO, CC. oo. and UGT assure that the department headed by Gotzone Sagardui has turned “the mantra of the lack of professionals” into the “perfect excuse for Osakidetza to take measures that are very difficult to justify”. They add that the retirements in the coming years will “make this situation worse”, and condemn that given this, Osakidetza intends not to do anything about it.
Similarly, they accuse Osakidetza’s management of “systematic mistreatment of staff”, whose situation is becoming “more and more precarious”, just as attention to the public is also increasingly precarious”.
After denouncing that the sector table remains “absolutely blocked” and that the Ministry of Health and its adviser, Gotzone Sagardui, “systematically refuse to deal with and negotiate the issues raised by the union”, they have assured that Osakidetza will not allow them “More away than that of mobilization”. “Our public health problems are structural and ahead of the pandemic, and require immediate and far-reaching solutions,” they warn and demand Osakidetza and the Ministry of Health “political will to make public health a real priority, beyond propaganda”.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
