Red Cross workers demand better working conditions

Several unions on Tuesday condemned the “unequal working conditions” of workers in various Portuguese Red Cross delegations, once again demanding a company agreement guaranteeing equal rights and better working conditions.

The 170 offices and humanitarian centers of the Portuguese Red Cross employ approximately two thousand employees who guarantee the operation of a wide variety of services, from kindergartens to kindergartens, nursing homes or nursing homes.

However, salaries and hours of work for kindergarten teachers or nurses may vary depending on whether they work in a particular delegation, António Quiterio, director of the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof), told Luse in a statement.

“We have kindergarten teachers who work 40 hours a week and others who work 35 hours. But we also have working hours of 44 or 37 hours,” said Antonio Quiterio.

Lusa’s information was confirmed by Rui Marroni from the Portuguese Union of Nurses (SEP): “Different Red Cross delegations have different situations. A nurse in Tavira has a 35-hour schedule, while a nurse in Elvas has a 40-hour schedule. hours a week.”

“We want everyone to have a work schedule of 35 hours a week,” stressed Rui Marroni, adding that salaries for the same functions can also vary.

While some nurses earn “900 euros a month working 40 hours a week”, others take home 1,500 euros for a 35-hour work week, he stressed.

Unions want 35-hour working hours for everyone, “fair wages” and better working conditions. These requirements, in their opinion, can be achieved after the completion of the negotiation process, begun in 2016, on the implementation of the Company Agreement.

“Currently, each Red Cross delegation has pseudo-autonomy. That is why we are interested in completing the process so that regardless of the place of work, the working conditions are the same,” said António Quiterio, who is also a member of the Red Cross negotiating committee representing four trade union structures.

In addition to Fenprof and the AKP, the National Federation of Trade Unions of Public and Social Services (FNSTFPS) and the National Union of Senior Medical Staff in Diagnostics and Therapeutics (STSS) are also participating in this fight.

Negotiations for the Company Agreement (AE) began in 2016. Since then, three presidents have come under the leadership of the Portuguese Red Cross (CVP), and workers continue to wait for “better professional conditions,” António Quitherio stressed.

The Unionists also accused the CVP of receiving government and community funds despite failing to comply with legislation that specifically requires them to have an AE.

“They justify themselves by saying that we are negotiating, that we are in a dynamic process of reaching an agreement between the companies. But this process has been dragging on since 2016 and the workers continue without seeing an improvement in their working conditions because the Red Cross is delaying,” complained Rui Marroni.

Another negotiation meeting was supposed to take place today, but it was canceled at the end of last week, António Quiterio lamented.

The four trade union bodies accuse the current management (CVP) of presenting a new proposal that “violated everything previously agreed upon and deserved the consent of all parties.”