Alicante's Senior Health Technicians Called to Strike This Thursday

Senior Health Technicians (TSS) in Alicante and across the country are set to embark on four days of strike action, beginning this Thursday and Friday, with further strikes planned for November 3rd and 4th. The strike is justified by the "failure to comply" by the Ministry of Health, Finance, and the regional health departments with the agreements made in June regarding the inclusion of the group's demands in the draft of the Statute Framework.

Coinciding with the first day of the strike, there will be sit-ins and symbolic occupations in health centres from 3:00 PM, informing patients about the reasons for the strike. The highlight of this call will be a large demonstration in Madrid on November 3rd, starting at 12 PM.

Senior Health Technicians are the professionals responsible for conducting diagnostic tests, radiotherapy treatments, among others, as well as population screenings and specialized techniques that enable the detection, confirmation, and treatment of diseases.

They remind us that without their work "the system comes to a halt." "What recently happened in Andalusia is a clear example of what occurs when this essential work is undervalued: suspended tests, halted screenings, and patients without diagnoses. Despite this reality, the central government and regional authorities continue to ignore the demands of a group essential to public health," they explain in a statement.

The TSS state that they do not wish to paralyze healthcare, but feel compelled to do so. "A modern, technological, and efficient healthcare system cannot be sustained without recognizing or updating the qualifications and working conditions of those who make it possible from laboratories, radiology services, pathology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, health documentation... This strike is not just a labor measure, but a call to alert society and administrations," they add.

The State Union of Senior Health Technicians had filed a legal claim with the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) to suspend the minimum services set by the General Directorate of Labour of the Valencian Government for the strike. However, the court has dismissed the claim, citing the essential nature of the health services provided by these professionals.