Five nurses’ unions said this Friday that nurses must be the government’s priority, demanding talks to improve the careers of those health workers who feel forgotten by “successive governments”.
Unions called on Wednesday a five-day strike in late April and early May on the mainland and islands to review wages and careers and recruit more workers.
“This is our way of expressing our dissatisfaction, because just yesterday [quinta-feira] The Prime Minister, in his speech at the Assembly of the Republic, said that other professions are a priority,” said Carlos Ramalho, president of the Democratic Union of Nurses of Portugal (Sindepor), at a press conference this Friday.
The press conference in Lisbon was also attended by the presidents of the Nurses Union (SE), the Independent Nurses Union (SIPE), the Independent Union of All United Nurses (SITEU) and the National Nurses Union (SNE).
Despite acknowledging progress in negotiations, such as this Friday with the Portuguese Association of Private Hospitals (APHP), Carlos Ramalho said that the strike announcement will continue unless there are any positive signs.
SE leader Pedro Costa recalled that there are nurses with 20-30 years of experience who are “completely stagnant in their careers.”
“They earn almost as much as their colleagues who are starting out. The nurse brings home a net salary of just over 900 euros. And it is not enough to simply say that we must recognize the risk of difficulties for other professions, it is important to say that it is necessary to recognize the nursing profession as risky,” he emphasized.
He also criticized the government for still not mentioning the emergency health plan promised by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro during the legislative election campaign on March 10 and which will be presented in the first 60 days of government.
“Sixty days is no longer 60 days (…), and we don’t see the word “nurse” anywhere,” he noted.
In turn, SIPE President Fernando Mendes Parreira said that Health Minister Ana Paula Martins “should have a say,” noting that “a conflict is being created” between nurses in the public and private sectors over the recording of service time.
“In some institutions, length of service is not taken into account. This situation causes great dissatisfaction among nurses. This needs to be corrected,” he recalled.
For his part, SNE President Emanuel Boyeiro said that trade union organizations “promise to meet” with the Ministry of Health, pointing out that APHP has already addressed the nurses’ demands.
“These five unions want to achieve better conditions for nurses through dialogue (…) between the parties,” he emphasized.
SITEU President Gorete Pimentel stressed that the unions want to raise awareness of nursing careers.
“The last time our pay scale was insecurely changed was in 2008 when there was a career review. Since 2008, the pay scale for nurses has never changed; it has never changed again. and lack of salary increases,” he explained.
The strike will take place on April 26, 29 and 30, as well as May 2 and 3, and will affect public service institutions, as well as enterprises in the social and private sectors of the continent and the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira at the regional level. basis depending on days.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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