Nurses demonstrate in Barcelona again as part of indefinite strike

Around 500 nurses have taken to the streets of Barcelona once again on Monday morning as part of their ongoing indefinite strike to call for better working conditions.

The strike began on December 12 and demonstrations have returned to the center of the Catalan capital on Monday after the Christmas break.

The demonstration started from two different points on Monday morning: one column of protesters left from Plaça Universitat and another from Plaça Tetuan.

Around 11 am, both groups converged on Gran Via, one of the main roads through Barcelona city, and started moving towards Plaça Sant Jaume, where the Catalan government headquarters building is located.

"Again, we want to make our voices heard," Laia Marsal, vice-president of the Catalan Nurses Union, said at the beginning of the demonstration.

During the mobilization, chants criticizing the Catalan health minister were heard, as well as cries of "enough, enough, enough, the nurses say enough!"

Union representatives were welcomed into the government building after arrival at the square. President of the Nurses Union, Núria Guirado, explained after the meeting that the government secretary told them they would listen to their demands.

The union is waiting for technical and mediation meetings to try to reach "tangible agreements" that could end the strike, Guirado said.

Another protest is planned for Tuesday in front of the Department of Health.

Dispute

The nursing union Infermeres de Catalunya has demanded a pay rise equivalent to the A1 level to end the ongoing strike.  

In a meeting with Catalan Health Minister Manel Balcells last week, the nurses demanded to be upgraded to a higher salary category in line with their education.

According to sources in the Ministry of Health, Balcells has promised to negotiate with the Spanish government, which is in charge of approving the salary increase. 

"Although the competence lies in Madrid, the Catalan government can create a homologation supplement that allows nurses to enjoy this recognition in the meantime," said Núria Guirado, president of the nursing union, after the meeting. 

However, Balcells warned that the Catalan government has no authority to implement such a measure and reminded the nurses that the latest agreement of the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) already includes a partial increase of €1,700 per year.  

None of the main unions (CCOO, Ugt, Metges de Catalunya and Satse) supported the strike. Satse, the largest nurses' union in Catalonia, actively campaigned against the strike and accused Infermeres de Catalunya, a smaller nurses' union, of being "electoralist".