About 300 health professionals have cut traffic on Via Laietana in Barcelona this Wednesday morning in the first act of the strike called by the Union Board of Health of Catalonia in the Catalan capital, shouting “quality and public health”.
The Trade Union Board, made up of the unions USOC, Infermeres de Catalunya, CGT Cataluña, CATAC-CTS-IAC, Coordinadora Obrera Sindical and PSI Lluitem, has called this strike, which does not have the support of the majority unions CCOO, UGT, SATSE and Doctors of Catalonia.
The protesters have left the Plaza Urquinaona, they have thrown firecrackers and chants such as “Enough of cuts” have been heard, “More robes and fewer ties” and “Public health is not for sale” among others.
At 12 o’clock another rally has begun in the Plaza Sant Jaume in Barcelona, where protesters have placed robes and banners on the ground and lit flares.
Health professionals have cut Via Laietana and are protesting in Plaça Sant Jaume shouting “Public and quality health” pic.twitter.com/LQKyxluqXj
– 20m – Barcelona (@ 20mBarcelona) March 10, 2021
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To this protest have been added the rest of decentralized demonstrations in other cities of Catalonia, such as Tarragona, Lleida, Mollet del Vallès, Palafrugell, Cerdanya, Reus, Girona, Olot and Sabadell, in front of hospitals, sanitary spaces and in the center of some of these cities.
They have also announced that they will extend the strikes to every Monday from March 15 between 04:00 and 06:00, from 08:00 to 10:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00, until April 26.
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For days the convening unions have promoted a campaign on social networks with the label #EstemFartes (We are fed up), with which they want to make visible the “chronic and current wear and tear of the system” and make their demands heard.
The White Tide of Catalonia, the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Barcelona and the Platform in defense of public services have publicly supported the strike and they have joined the concentrations called for this Wednesday.
Also the Platform in defense of public services supports all the demands of health workers and assistance services.
“Tiredness among health personnel”
The convening unions argue the “fatigue among the health and administrative staff of health centers”, which they don’t feel heard by the Government and that “the employment situation is critical and adds to the cuts of so many years ago.”
Today’s strike is called upon to participate public, concerted and private health workers hospitals, primary care, residences, 061, home care and ambulances.
Among other demands, they ask reduce temporality and precariousness in contracting, a health model focused on primary care, recognition of the danger bonus for all categories and coverage of all retirements and vacancies, as well as absences for vacations.
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Strike little followed by “abusive” minimal services
The 24-hour strike in the Catalan health sector, called for this Wednesday by six minority unions, has had little follow-up last night for about minimal “abusive” services and few fixed structural staff of the hospital centers, have indicated union sources.
Sources from the USOC and Infemeres de Catalunya unions have reported today that support for the strike has been “limited” and that it is expected to increase in the morning and afternoon shifts of the different health and non-health centers called to support the strike.
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