Basque health unions denounce Laku's push to privatise emergency services

The Basque health unions ELA, ESK and LAB have lodged objections to a contract worth over €1.2 billion that would place emergency medical and ambulance services under the private management of Laku. The unions say the deal eliminates any possibility of a public tender and forces the services into a private‑sector model promoted by the health department.

They argue the contract breaches labour rights, infringes on collective agreements and reduces the autonomy of health workers. The unions also accuse the Health Ministry, led by Alberto Martinez, of ignoring public demand for services and of favouring a neoliberal model that benefits private operators.

The unions contend that the contract repeats the mistakes of previous private‑sector attempts in other autonomous regions, and they stress that maintaining public control of essential health services is the only viable solution.