Nurses have gathered this May 12 in front of several hospitals on the occasion of International Nurses Day under the slogan Nurses are no longer silent. Among the centers called is the Arnau de Vilanova hospital in Lleida, one of the points of a protest promoted by Satse.
The mobilization arrives with a paradox that the sector places at the center of the conflict. Professionals denounce a lack of staff, insufficient ratios, and physical and emotional overload, but they rule out calling a strike because the minimum services could force the mobilization of more staff than is already available.
Satse rules out strike because minimum services would require more staff
The union has organized the rallies to denounce the impact of the cuts on staffing levels and the daily activity of hospitals. The protest has spread to several centers on a symbolic day for the profession.
In Lleida, the Arnau de Vilanova is among the hospitals called to participate. Satse maintains that the lack of staff and current ratios keep nurses under a sustained workload that affects both physical and emotional wear and tear.
For that reason, the union is not planning a strike at this time. Its argument is that the application of minimum services could require more staff than are already available on many shifts.
Professionals ask for shorter working hours and more breaks to alleviate overload
In addition to denouncing the staff shortage, professionals are demanding a reduction in working hours and more rest periods. They link these measures to the ability to sustain daily care without increasing accumulated fatigue.
Satse warns that this wear and tear can affect patient care. To that daily pressure, another underlying problem is added: the increase in nurses who abandon the profession or leave for other destinations.
The protest on May 12 also includes a request for investment and the opening of a dialogue with the Government to improve the working conditions of nursing, a demand that the union has taken to the rallies called in front of hospitals such as Arnau de Vilanova in Lleida.