Feijóo pushes PP plan to let mutual insurers approve sick-leave terminations

Alberto Núñez Feijóo told Catalan entrepreneurs that a future PP government would expand the role of mutual insurers, allowing them to grant medical discharge for common illnesses and to conduct diagnostic tests. He also pledged to boost the number of evaluating doctors and to tighten controls on sick-leave, framing the reforms as a response to what the party calls a post-pandemic surge in absenteeism. The plan echoes earlier PP rhetoric about cutting wages and benefits for sick employees, and it has been promoted alongside a narrative that blames workers for a supposed “mass fraud.”

Labor unions such as CCOO, UGT and CIG argue the measure would place workers’ health decisions in the hands of profit-driven entities, creating a clear conflict of interest. The proposal is already being piloted in Galicia, where regional authorities have introduced additional oversight mechanisms for returning employees, supported by the Confederación de Empresarios de Galicia. Critics note that the PP has signed only a handful of agreements with autonomous communities to let mutuals perform diagnostic tests, limiting the practical impact of the plan.