In the face of rising prices and higher energy costs driven by the Ukraine crisis, the President of the Generalitat urged ongoing dialogue to secure an income payment that would shield families and businesses throughout 2023.
That message came during a Monday address at the UGT-PV Guardons d’Honor awards, where the union celebrated Cándido Méndez Rodríguez for a career defending workers and health personnel, recognizing their role in advancing worker conditions and addressing the Covid-19 health crisis.
Puig advocates ‘big deals’ for fairer financing and water guarantee
Speaking at the ceremony, Ximo Puig framed responsible unionism as a driver of confidence, stability, and harmony within the Valencian Community. He cited a record employment figure of 2,070,000, with permanent contracts surpassing 70,000 in the previous November and a notable rebound in the economy amid crisis conditions as signs of resilience.
He argued that union action breathes life into public life, stressing the importance of social dialogue to protect factories and jobs. He pointed to recent agreements at Ford Almussafes and a broader institutional accord focused on labor reform and a higher minimum wage as examples of unity delivering welfare and stability.
improve society
Regarding the award recipients, Puig highlighted Cándido Méndez’s long career and his contribution to societal healing. He praised Méndez’s enduring commitment to public service, noting qualities such as unity, resilience, independence, and humility that have helped shape public life.
Puig also commended health workers, calling the award winners a symbol of essential public service and thanking them for their efforts over the last three years. He pledged to push for more public health services and higher quality care overall.
In the Valencian Community, the past seven years have seen a 25 percent rise in healthcare staffing, adding thousands of public positions and expanding access across the network. The administration announced plans to create 995 new roles in 2023 and to increase the health budget to 8.3 billion euros, reflecting a substantial boost in public health finances.
public health care
Puig asserted that Valencia hosts one of the strongest public health systems globally, with momentum building since 2015 through universal access measures and reforms that benefited tens of thousands. Highlights included eliminating user co-pays that reduced out-of-pocket costs, and a commitment to maintain universal coverage for more residents. The administration cited the rehabilitation of hospital services in the Ribera and Torrevieja areas and reinforced teams across the system.
Additionally, the Generalitat outlined a 326 million-euro effort to strengthen Primary Care, part of a broader plan to shorten waiting lists and address staff shortages. A new medical school in Alicante was announced as a cornerstone of this strategy, with continued investments to modernize infrastructure and capacity.
Looking ahead, Puig affirmed ongoing work to upgrade health facilities, with approved projects valued at hundreds of millions of euros scheduled to continue advancing public health infrastructure.