The UGT union has called for a strike by Social Security medical inspectors on Monday, April 29th, due to the unsafe conditions in which they perform their duties and the heavy workloads they face. These inspectors are responsible for assessing whether workers who have been on medical leave for over a year should continue or return to work. In addition to the strike, a gathering has been organized on the same day in front of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security in Madrid.
The Federation of Public Services of UGT has pointed out that the recent increase in workload is a result of the removal of the Medical Court in disability proceedings, transferring responsibilities to individual medical inspectors. This change puts these doctors at risk and vulnerable, as they lack sufficient security measures in dealing with complex sick leave cases, leading to physical and verbal attacks.
The workload for these inspectors has increased due to this change, and there is a shortage of staff. According to worker representatives, there should be a nearly 30% increase in staff to ensure quality service to citizens. The disappearance of the Medical Courts a year ago has caused delays in resolving thousands of long-term disability cases, prompting previous strikes in various autonomous communities.
The strike is also influenced by salary conditions, with the medical inspectors demanding fixed salaries and independence from the body that pays the benefits they are tasked with resolving. This conflict of interest has created additional tension among professionals in this field. Better planning and distribution of workloads, along with additional staffing, are critical issues for the medical inspectors’ demands.