In response to the recent changes in regulations, Social Security medical inspectors from the UGT union have announced a strike on April 29. These professionals are responsible for determining if employees on extended sick leave should continue in that status or return to work. The strike is aimed at protesting the unsafe conditions in which they work and the heavy workloads they bear.
In Madrid, medical inspectors have called for a gathering at the Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security headquarters on that day between 12:00 and 14:00. According to the Federation of Public Services of UGT, recent changes in regulations have led to an increase in their workload, particularly due to the removal of the Medical Court in disability proceedings. This has resulted in one medical inspector handling tasks previously addressed by a team of five professionals, creating frustration and vulnerability. This has led to verbal and physical attacks during highly contentious consultations.
The disappearance of medical courts a year ago has also caused significant delays in resolving long-term temporary disability cases, prompting several strikes across various regions last year. Apart from safety concerns and heavy workloads, medical inspectors are also demanding fixed salaries with fewer variable supplements, as well as independence from the body that pays their benefits. They stress that better personnel planning, equitable distribution of workloads, and task rotations are necessary for quality service delivery.
