The government signed this Thursday in Porto with representatives of the social sector a cooperation commitment that will enter into force in 2024, increasing the financial contribution of the state by 123 million euros.
Called the “Commitment for Cooperation with the Social and Solidarity Sector 2023-2024”, it renews the financial contributions of social security to institutions that guarantee social measures and accompanies the strengthening of measures to increase workers’ wages and reduce inflation, emphasizes the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security in its message. statement.
The pledge was signed by Prime Minister António Costa and representatives of the National Confederation of Solidarity Institutes (CNIS), Lino Maia from the Portuguese Union of Miseriórdias (UMP), Manuel Lemos from the Portuguese Union of Mutual Aid (UM). ), Luis Alberto Silva and the Portuguese Cooperative Confederation (CONFECOOP), Joaquim Pequixo.
About 300 thousand people are employed in social and solidarity sector institutions.
“Between 2015 and 2023, the government increased annual structural investments in cooperation agreements by EUR 760 million (+60%),” the government emphasizes in the same document.
At a ceremony held today at the social security institutions in Porto, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, said that the increase in contributions comes through “a joint assessment of the increase in salaries, because they know the impact they have and because they want this to happen too and therefore see it as a top priority,” thereby helping to “attract talent and retain it in the social sector.”
“This historic commitment to the social sector represents a commitment from the past, present and future (…) to provide the means, predictability and confidence to continue your mission while respecting and valuing all workers.”
There were words of gratitude and praise from the remaining signatories, as well as messages like that of Manuel Lemos, who guaranteed that “the National Health Service should not be replaced, but strengthened” and that grace “will be here.” to strengthen it.”
On the part of the CNIS, Father Lino Maia stressed that “the commitments signed were the maximum possible” and that “they will continue to work because there are aspects that need to be improved.”
At the end of the ceremony, the Prime Minister spoke of “new opportunities that need to be developed and that complement all others that need to continue to be supported,” a situation that “really involves strengthening cooperation and partnerships between the state. and solidarity and the social sector.”
“That is why during these eight years (…) we have renewed the values of cooperation and looked for a way to move closer to a common goal: that 50% of the costs or fees with different valences in the field of social protection are equally divided between the state, solidarity and the social sector,” – said Antonio Costa.
The Prime Minister then recalled “good and bad problems”, the first of which “is related to inflation and a severe inflation crisis (…) the largest in the last 30 years”, and he classified the good problems as “wage growth”. what the country has experienced in recent years, and in a sector where the minimum wage carries an important weight, an increase in the minimum wage by 62% cannot but affect the cost structures of the various institutions of the “sector”, that is, a very strong employment generator.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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