Health technicians call for a strike for the week of March 3

BarcelonaThe Federation of Health Technicians and Professionals will go on strike again the week of March 3, according to ARA. The tension between these professionals and the Ministry of Health has been going on for a long time, and, in fact, a year ago they already saturated the analytical services of hospitals and primary care centres (CAP) with an indefinite strike. Now the entity considers that the diplomatic route has been exhausted after several unsuccessful meetings with the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut) and has agreed to mobilisations for the first working week of March (from the 3rd to the 7th).

After a quiet start to the legislature, in which she has practically not deployed any new measures, this will be the first test for the Minister of Health, Olga Pané. The federation warns that the strike could continue for some time if the Government does not make a move and brings positions closer to comply with the agreement of economic and organisational improvements signed in January of last year. "The aim of the strike is to reach an agreement that will allow the legitimate demands of the affected staff to be resolved, improve their working conditions and salaries and dignify the professions involved," they say.

A year ago, the unions of health technicians and the department reached an agreement to call off the first strike, which lasted three weeks. The unions explained then that it was a "truce" while waiting to see the response of the ministry. On the table was the commitment of Salut to ask the Ministry of Health to review the professional category of health technicians (which would have an impact on salaries) and to make organizational changes.

"Despite all the meetings held with the health minister, the health department, the management of the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) and the management of the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut), we have had no other feeling than that of being in a dead end in the form of systematic and professional commotion," the federation states in a document to which this newspaper has had access.

The main stumbling block in the negotiation was salaries. According to the agreement to end last year's strike, the harmonisation table - where the ICS, employers' associations and unions work with the aim of equalising the conditions of public and private healthcare - was to carry out an analysis of the salaries of health technicians and present "improvement proposals" in April. Salut subsequently committed to implementing them. Now, the unions claim that the department has not presented them with any salary study or specific improvement and that keeps alive the comparative grievance with respect to other health groups.

Rescheduling of tests

Healthcare technicians are essential for carrying out diagnostic and analytical techniques, among many other tasks, and in January 2024 their demand already caused delays in tests and the collection of blood, stool and urine samples. A situation that forced hospitals and the CAP to reschedule thousands of times. On the other hand, auxiliary nursing care technicians (TCAE) are responsible for providing care to patients and work in various areas of health care, from geriatrics to operating rooms. During the strike a year ago, they stopped sterilizations and made surgical work and primary care difficult.

The federation points out that last December Parliament approved a motion supporting its claims and complains that, until now, this "has not been taken into account by the competent authorities". According to the department, the harmonisation table has already finished comparing salaries and has set it out in a document. Now, in order to "fulfil the objectives" of the table, three technical commissions have been created to deal with issues such as salary, working hours, professional classification, professional careers and pay for objectives. These commissions will analyse the issues for all professional groups. Even so, the department does not specify any timetable for these technical commissions or what the result will be once they have completed the evaluation.