Malaga nurses strike action

Nurses are due to go on strike this autumn over demands, they claim, the Andalusian health authorities have only paid lip service to.

The Andalusian Nursing Council and the Nursing Union (Satse) have just announced that 10,000 nurses throughout the region plan a series of strike action this autumn because their demands have not been actioned despite government guarantees they would be.

Understaffing despite population increase, and a lack of specifically skilled professionals, top the list in a litany of ultimatums nurses are complaining about, and the figures do not lie. It is estimated there is a shortfall of around 300 nurses throughout Andalusia, and Malaga is one of the most affected provinces.

Malaga province one of the least staffed

According to the Annual Report of the National Health System 2022, the European ratio is 8.5 professionals per 1,000 inhabitants. Spain is worse with a ratio of 6.4. Andalusia is even lower, with 5.4. But Málaga is even lower still with a ratio of 5 health professionals per 1,000 patients. As far as nurses in the Malaga province go, it is Groundhog Day as they have been requesting the autonomous government do something about the worsening situation for years.

Unions are insisting on an update in the deployment system of professional carers which has not seen any improvement since promises were made in 2023. Dealing with precarious working conditions, such as short-term contracts that spur the flight of good professionals to the private sector, is also demanded.

Nurses are now warning that strike action will take place throughout the autumn until their demands are met, but have not mentioned specific dates yet.