Nurses announce nationwide strike in August

The Portuguese Nurses’ Union (SEP) today announced a strike for August 2, saying the submission of a proposal to change the wage scale “remains outstanding”.

“The Ministry of Health’s commitment to submit the proposed change in working hours remains unfulfilled,” the union stressed, adding that the strike would cover morning and afternoon shifts.

In its statement, the AKP also stressed that “it is imperative that the training of nurses and the improvement of their working conditions begin on July 18,” the day negotiations with the Health Ministry began, after both sides agreed, earlier in the month, on the protocol of the negotiations, that is, the calendar and issues to be discussed.

The union says addressing the “relative injustice” these professionals face requires guidance for local health care administrations that continues to “perform at the expense of nurses’ professional development and pay.”

The SWP also claims that at a national level, nurses are forced to work overtime, which in “most cases is unpaid or paid as normal work.”

“They must be given” time off, the union says, warning that the systematic use of overtime to make up for a shortage of nurses worsens the “risk and difficulty of performing the profession.”

The PSR also advocated a 35-hour week as a work schedule for nurses.

There have been several sectoral strikes by nurses in recent weeks, including strikes in health centres in the Lisbon region and in private hospitals.

In the health sector, the National Federation of Doctors (Fnam) has already called a nationwide strike on July 23 and 24, expressing its disagreement with the calendar proposed by the government for negotiations on the wage table.

In addition to this nationwide strike, Fnam also noted the cessation of overtime work in primary health care from July 23 to August 31.