Firefighters claim ‘political will’ to make a career out of fighting MAI

Some two hundred firefighters gathered this Saturday in front of the Ministry of the Interior (MAI) in Terreiro do Paço to ask for “political will” to start negotiations that will allow them to create “a career with a future” that recognizes them as professionals.

Firefighters were concentrated from 16:00 in a protest organized by the Operasan Carreira movement, in which hundreds of professionals from different parts of the country took part, some with placards, others holding the national flag, and the national anthem was sung by protesters about an hour after the protest began.

Speaking to the firefighters present, the movement’s spokesman, Azambuja Fire Department Commander Ricardo Correia, said of the demonstration called by the far right, which headed to the same place at the end of the day, that the slightest sign of uncertainty would dissipate the concentration.

“We are soldiers of the world, we do not want to participate in anything that has any political or extreme connection. If we realize that at any time there will be any breach of our security, we will demobilize immediately because that is not the purpose we are here for.” “, he repeated later in statements to Luse.

Regarding the protest, Ricardo Correia said that the motivation can be explained simply: “A young man who joins a firemen’s association at the age of 18 and intends to stay there until he is 65 will spend 47 years with the same career, with the same position, not earning not a cent except those cents which the humanitarian associations are willing to spend on this man.”

According to the person in charge, firefighters are currently remunerated at around €50 above the national minimum wage, unless corporations and local authorities have the financial ability to pay above this amount, meaning that two professionals doing the same job the same tasks, the same functions have different orders.

“At the moment, local authorities are responsible for paying part of these salaries, and the government only part, about 37 million euros for 412 associations, and this 37 million euros should cover everything else, everything that aid activities are, so it is clearly not enough to give these people a career,” he said.

From the state and government, the movement demands “political will” to negotiate and ensure “fair share in funding” for firefighters so that everyone “has the same career and the same rights,” emphasizing that they are professionals with a contract and legal ties to corporations. to whom they belong.

Ricardo Correia admits that “the argument that the government is in power and does not have the capacity to negotiate is fair”, but emphasizes that the purpose of the protest is to put this issue on the political agenda of all parties, taking into account electoral programs for the March legislative elections.

“We don’t know who will be the next Minister of the Interior, we want it to be included in their agenda, in their political program, whatever the party, to include in their political program that volunteer firefighters from humanitarian organizations need a career. “We all understand that this is not a problem that will be solved this year or next, it will require profound changes in legislation that will allow these people to feel worthy in their profession once and for all,” he said.

A starting point for negotiations, he said, could be the example of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, where the regional government and other competent authorities have already sat down at the negotiating table to guarantee balanced funding between the entities and legislative changes that ensure that increased agreed funds are channeled to firefighters.

Data sent to Lusa MAI shows that funding for humanitarian firemen’s associations has increased over the last two legislative assemblies, with permanent funding for these associations increasing by 4.7% in 2024, to €33.2 million.

It also states that in terms of professionalization, there were 753 permanent response teams in 2023, representing “a total of 3,715 contract firefighters”, which provided “greater stability”, and these teams “represented the total in 2023 investments.” 53 million euros, divided between the central state (MAI and the National Office for Emergency Situations and Civil Protection) and local authorities.”

According to Ricardo Correia, there are currently 11,500 firefighters working in humanitarian associations, but more and more open positions are due to the inability to attract stakeholders.

João Pratas, 20, from the Golegán Volunteer Fire Department, has been interested almost since birth. The son of a company commander, he says he took his first steps in the barracks, but has no plans to do more.

“I’m a professional firefighter, but I intend to do something better,” a young firefighter told Lusa, frustrated by the lack of career prospects, believing that the lack of a structured career “is unsustainable” and that he would like a career equivalent to that of firefighters , since they do the same job.

“We are only recognized in the summer,” lamented the young firefighter, along with his colleague Thiago Pereira, 25 and a professional for five years, who displayed their demand on a poster: “The dignity of saving lives.”

Sergio Azevedo of the Arouca firefighters went to the protest with four colleagues from the same corporation to demand a career and the right to stability, also agreeing that they should be considered as professional bomb disposal officers.

While he regrets that his career is “at a low point” and that today’s concentration has not attracted more participation, he seems content to at least place the topic on the political agenda.