The Union of Nursing Technicians (SAE) and the State Union of Senior Health Technicians (SIETeSS), through the Federation of Health Technicians and Professionals (FTPS), have announced a indefinite strike starting January 8 in the Catalan public health system.
“It is the last option that we wanted to take,” said the regional secretary of SAE in Catalonia, Cristian Monclús, in a press conference with the Secretary of Organization and Territory of SIETeSS, José Joaquín Durán, to present the collective’s mobilizations.
SAE and SIETeSS considered “unfair” and “classist” the III Agreement validated on November 22 by the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) and the majority unions: Metges de Catalunya, the nursing union SATSE, CCOO and UGT.
Durán has indicated that the agreement contains“aberrant” salary increases, 0.18% in the case of senior health technicians and 1.3% for auxiliary care technicians.
This indefinite strike calls for staff from the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) as well as from the concerted health system (the Siscat network) and from the comprehensive public health system of Catalonia (SISCAT).
Durán and Monclús have pointed out that the reason for calling the indefinite strike is not only remuneration, but also the professional recognition of health technicians within the system.
“We regret that a government that calls itself left-wing can continue to mistreat its health professionals,” union representatives stated when reading the strike statement.
Both representatives have asserted that they have requested the ICS, “actively and passively”, during their last meetings – the most recent taking place on November 16, in a conciliation event – for salary, labor and professional improvements, without success.
Both unions already called a strike on November 30, and on December 1 and 15, days that, according to these organizations, had a significant impact on the services of clinical and pathological anatomy laboratories, radiology services, surgical interventions, and emergency services, among others.
Among the actions announced is the demonstration that will take place tomorrow, Saturday, and will begin in Plaça de Francesc Macià in Barcelona and end in Plaça de Sant Jaume.
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The unions demand that the ICS “rectify the course” it has followed until now and that it meet with the strike committee to prepare a proposal that is “fair, proportional and that recognizes the fundamental role” of the professional profiles called.
Monclús and Durán have reiterated their apologies to the citizens for the impact of the strike but have assured that the ICS has left them “no choice” but to return to the mobilization.