Negotiations between the government and doctors resumed on Thursday. Fnam goes on strike

The health minister said on Thursday that talks with doctors’ unions would resume on Thursday as the National Federation of Doctors (Fnam) decided to continue the strike next week.

“Respecting Fnam’s decision to continue the strike planned for next week, the next negotiating meeting has been scheduled for Thursday,” Manuel Pizarro told reporters at the end of a negotiating meeting with unions representing doctors.

The two-day strike, October 17 and 18, was called by Fnam back in September and, according to the Minister of Health, this Thursday’s meeting did not change the union federation’s intentions.

“On the part of the Ministry of Health, we were ready to return to the negotiating table in order to deepen this work even faster. This would be better for the NHS and also for doctors, but we must respect the union’s desire to do better. strike day,” he stressed.

Asked whether Fnam’s decision signaled any retreat from the trusteeship agreement, Manuel Pizarro replied that “one must ask the question of whoever decides to continue the strike in a scenario in which there is clear progress in the negotiations and there is a huge demonstration of openness in the negotiations” .

The Ministry of Health returned to the negotiating table with doctors’ unions this Thursday, a month after the last round of negotiations ended without an agreement.

The proposal presented to the unions by the ministry includes a new pay model and a bonus of 500 euros per month for doctors providing emergency care, as well as the option to choose 35 hours per week.

“We are proposing something that prioritizes improving Portuguese people’s access to healthcare and retraining the National Health Service. This is a huge offer also from the point of view of assessing the medical profession,” the minister said.