The marches were held after the first strike day in Primary Care took place this past Friday, which will be followed by next Monday throughout Osakidetza.
Several thousand people have demonstrated this Saturday in the streets of Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián, called by the Osakidetza unions, to demand an “immediate” increase in resources and personnel in the Basque Health Service. , and denounce its “dismantling and precariousness of the public system”.
The marches were held after the first strike day in Primary Care took place this past Friday, which will be followed by next Monday throughout Osakidetza.
The unions calling the strikes, SATSE, ELA, LAB, CCOO and UGThave also wanted to take to the streets this Saturday to “force” the Basque Health Service to adopt “immediate measures” to improve its operation and the working conditions of the workers.
In Donostia-San Sebastián the demonstration started from the Boulevard, while in Bilbao the starting point was the Sagrado Corazón and in Vitoria-Gasteiz the Plaza Nueva, from 11:45 a.m., behind banners denouncing “serious situation in primary care and overload of hospital care”, and for “decent” working conditions.
The representatives of ELA, LAB and UGT, Esther Saavedra, Eneko Pascual and Ana Vázquez, in statements to the media, have assured that “the future of Basque public health is at stake”. “Can’t take this precariousness, this eventuality and these abusive workloads“, they have specified. In addition, they have criticized “Osakidetza’s arrogance in dealing with workers and with all citizens.”
All of them have once again denounced “the collapse” of primary care and “hospital overload”, and have recalled that it is not a temporary situation. In his opinion, only with mobilization can Osakidetza be “forced” to “move positions.”
Among its demands, as explained by ELA, are the increase in the budget for the 2023 financial year, until it reaches the EU average (7% of GDP), allocating 25% of it to primary care, or the “proper template sizingwith the creation of thousands of jobs, which allow rationalizing workloads and providing quality care to citizens”.
They also ask forend time that more than 24,600 workers suffer until lowering it to 8%, consolidating the templates”. Another of its objectives is the recovery of “lost” purchasing power, and reversal of all cuts, including that applied to Professional Development.
strike on monday
On Monday there will be a general strike throughout Osakidetza, which will be accompanied by demonstrations noisy in the three capitals of the Basque Autonomous Community.
The marches will start in Bilbao from the Basurto Hospital, at 12:00, in Donostia-San Sebastián from the Gros Health Center at 12:30; and in Vitoria-Gasteiz from the Santiago hospital, at 12:00.
Source: Eitb
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