The MIR España Association (AME) has announced that it will demand "soon from political parties the repeal" of the recent Royal Decree that updates the regulation of the special employment relationship of residence for training specialists in Health Sciences. The entity argues that it is "a reform which, in its current wording, lacks the necessary consensus," which is why it has carried out a "critical assessment" of the approved text.
From the organization, they consider it unjustifiable that "on the eve of a general election and in the face of the possibility of a change of Government, a rule of such scope is approved, whose labor, economic and organizational consequences the next Executive will have to manage," and they stress that, according to their internal surveys, "more than 90 percent of the residents consulted take a position against it."
AME recalls that the rule validated this Tuesday in the Council of Ministers "has also failed to secure the support of medical trade union organizations, of the Asociación MIR España or of representatives of the autonomous communities." The association emphasizes that during the processing, "numerous meetings have been held with the Ministry of Health, the General Directorate for Professional Regulation and the Organización Médica Colegial (OMC) throughout this process."
The entity explains that formal allegations were filed and that work was carried out in a coordinated manner with different trade union organizations. It acknowledges that some proposals have been incorporated with "positive advances" achieved "especially in the limitation of working days, mandatory rest periods, time recording and the prevention of occupational risks," but it stresses that the main demands in wage matters "have not been addressed in a satisfactory manner." "This aspect prevents us from supporting the reform," the association insists.
Loss of purchasing power and on-call duties
AME denounces that "this modification has not been accompanied by a sufficient additional budget allocation to truly modernize and dignify Specialized Health Training (FSE)," and it rejects "that a reform that aims to improve the working conditions of residents ends up causing a loss of purchasing power as a result of the reduction in on-call duties."
Along the same lines, emphasize that "the regulation of on-call shifts and the improvement of pay are two inseparable issues that must be addressed jointly." In your view, "reducing working hours without guaranteeing adequate financial compensation means shifting part of the cost of the reform onto the residents themselves, who already depend excessively on on-call shifts to achieve decent income."
For the next legislature, the association sets as its goal "to open a new negotiation process that will make it possible to reach real agreement on the working conditions and, especially, the economic conditions of the residents." AME states that "we expect that the next Government, whatever its makeup, will show greater sensitivity to our demands and will be willing to tackle an integral reform of the FSE, with sufficient funding and truly counting on its professionals."
The organization points out that "we do not oppose the labor advances contemplated by this law," since "work has actively been done to achieve many of them," but it rejects "that improvements to rest periods and working hours be approved without simultaneously guaranteeing decent pay." After "20 years waiting for an update to our labor regulations," AME argues that doctors in training "deserve an ambitious, agreed-upon and sufficiently funded reform, not a reform that forces us to choose between resting more or being paid less."