Doctors began a two-day strike at 00:00 on Tuesday and will demonstrate in the afternoon in front of the Ministry of Health in Lisbon to “defend medical careers and the National Health Service become a reality”, according to a statement from the trade union federation.
The strike, called by the National Federation of Doctors (Fnam), comes five days after unions met with the Health Ministry, with a new round of negotiations scheduled for next Thursday.
According to Fnam, the “all doctors” strike and demonstration aims to “make a decisive turning point to save medical careers and the National Health Service.”
“Over the past 18 months, health policy under Manuel Pizarro’s ministry has been disastrous, with negotiations dragging on without agreement on real solutions for NHS doctors,” he said in a statement.
Doctors’ dissatisfaction was expressed through strikes and the submission of draft declarations by around 2,500 doctors for exemption from overtime work beyond the mandatory 150 hours per year, which caused restrictions on emergency services at several NHS hospitals.
“The domino of declared tragedies and potentially fatal events that could occur, taking into account the closure of emergency services from the north to the south of the country, are the sole responsibility of the health policy practiced by the ministry of Manuel Pizarro,” accuses Fnama.
According to the federation, “it is unlawful to require doctors to work even more overtime beyond the limits established by law, to increase the daily working day to nine hours, to include work on Saturdays in the norm, or to deprive the right to compensatory rest after a night’s rest, in a new work schedule that they decided unilaterally approve.”
On the other hand, Fnam believes that “it is very important that the update of salary tables applies to all doctors and eliminates inequalities.”
In a proposal presented to unions last Thursday, the Ministry of Health envisages a 500-euro per month bonus for doctors providing emergency care and the option to choose 35 hours per week.
At the end of the meeting, Fnam felt that the Department of Health had shown a willingness to “step back on its intentions” but said it “now needs to move forward on a proposal that includes the demands of NHS doctors.” “.
“We note the apparent convergence of positions, but we are not surprised that there is no guarantee of equality for all doctors in terms of wages and working conditions, without loss of rights and without risk to the safety of doctors and users,” he said. .
For these reasons, it decided to continue the two-day strike and invited the Independent Doctors’ Union, Doctors in Struggle, user associations and the Order of Doctors, among other organizations, to demonstrate on Tuesday afternoon to “as one” continue to “demand a program capable of and ensure the availability of doctors in the NHS forever.”
The federation has already announced that it will attend the meeting planned by the Department of Health for next Thursday “in the hope of celebrating a historic agreement worthy of saving medical careers and the NHS”. “.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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