03/06/2026 - 12:54 GMT+2
Spain's health minister, Mónica García, chose not to appear at the press conference after the cabinet meeting at which her new Framework Statute for healthcare staff was presented — a measure that has sparked months of demonstrations drawing doctors and healthcare workers from across the political spectrum.
It was government spokesperson Elma Saíz, a Socialist minister, who defended the openly unpopular reform, saying it has the backing of the "majority trade unions" — SATSE-FSES, CC.OO., UGT and CSIF — as opposed to the groups that joined forces to protest against the text approved on Tuesday, which still has to pass through parliament.
Professionals are calling for a series of measures they say are absent from García's reform. The health minister, an anesthesiologist and member of the government's minority partner Sumar, represents Más Madrid.
Among their demands: on-call shifts should count towards Social Security contributions, and staff should receive either a night-work allowance or rest days after working consecutive shifts — as is the case for national police officers and prison staff.
