The Independent Physicians Union (SIM) called a nationwide strike this Friday on July 25, 26 and 27 to protest the government’s “failure” to “implement a decent pay scale.”
The announcement was made at a press conference by SIM General Secretary Jorge Roque da Cunha at the union’s headquarters in Lisbon.
Roque da Cunha asked the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) to join the protest, as well as professionals from the private sector, the last of which took place on 26 July.
The public sector strike is part of a wider strike calendar in various forms and regions, starting on July 24 with an overtime strike at health centers and ending on September 21 with a strike in the North region.
A nationwide strike of internal doctors is also scheduled for August 16 and 17.
The strike calendar was approved this Friday by the National Council of SIM, the day the union met with the Ministry of Health on various issues, including a revision of the wage scale, on the last day foreseen in a negotiation period that has not yet begun. , in 2022.
SIM has decided to schedule an overtime strike at medical centers and an “additional production” strike at hospitals from July 24 to August 22.
Stops have also been approved for Centro (August 9 and 10), Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (first stop on August 23 and 24, second on September 13 and 14), Alentejo, Algarve and the Azores (August 30 and September 31) and in the north (the first on September 6 and 7, the second on September 20 and 21).
The union did not call for a strike in Madeira, arguing that there was an agreement between all unions and the regional government.
According to Roque da Cunha, the SIM “tried to avoid forms of struggle until the last minute”, but the proposals presented by the government were “clearly insufficient”.
“We can’t accept unfair agreements,” he said, stating that the guardianship “didn’t present a serious salary grid.”
The SIM card, which turned out to be ready to continue negotiations, requires the government to be “serious and negotiable.”
“We have done everything to reach a fair agreement that is fighting a cut of more than 22% in medical salaries over the past 10 years,” the National Council of SIM said in a statement.
However, the health ministry has announced that more meetings with doctors’ unions are scheduled for next week, after Friday’s meetings ended without agreement.
According to an official source in the ministry, a meeting with SIM is scheduled for next Wednesday, and with FNAM, which is scheduled to strike on Wednesday and Thursday, meetings will take place next Friday and July 11.
Negotiations formally began with the team of Minister Manuel Pizarro, but the issues to be discussed were agreed with former Minister Marta Temido, who agreed to include in the minutes of negotiations the salary scale of doctors from the National Health Service (NHS).
On the table are private norms for the organization and discipline of labor, the billing of emergency doctors, full dedication, provided for in the new Charter of the SNA, and a revision of the salary scale.
In early March, doctors held a two-day strike called by the unions affiliated to FNAM to demand that careers and pay scales be valued, but failed to find support for SIM, who withdrew from the protest as they felt it was not justified while negotiations were underway.
In early June, FNAM announced another strike on July 5 and 6, alleging that the government had still not submitted an offer for a pay increase, less than a month before negotiations ended.
On Thursday, FNAM acknowledged more strikes in August after the government failed to formalize a proposal to revise the pay scale.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.