Civil servants union asks parties to avoid new political crisis in Madeira

The Madeira Civil Service Union this Wednesday called on parties to avoid a second political crisis in the region, arguing that workers, families and companies need to approve the regional budget.

“We left satisfied and want to take this moment to also make an appeal, since the trade union is in fact an independent entity, non-partisan in nature, to all political forces in our region. […] this will avoid a second political crisis,” said union president Ricardo Gouveia after an audience with Madeira government leader Miguel Albuquerque (PSD) in Funchal.

The union leader stressed that “workers, families, companies and the people of Madeira need a budget,” adding that “even if other party forces do not achieve everything they want in the political negotiations, there will be time to negotiate and discuss.”

“Currently, the budget that has been allocated to public administration is about 47 million euros and is aimed at creating specific quarries, evaluating specific quarries within the framework of regional public administration, and all this cannot move forward until we have a budget,” he intensified.

The head of the regional government has promised to accept some of the union’s demands, indicating that he will propose updating the isolation bonus paid to civil servants in the region and eliminating quotas under the Integrated Assessment System for Public Administration Performance (SIADAP). .

However, he warned, “these measures can be approved and implemented, like all others, only if the State Program is approved and the budget is approved.”

Asked about the position of Chegi and the PS, who have already announced their vote against the government program without the votes of the JPP, Miguel Albuquerque replied that “everyone takes their responsibility.”

If JPP votes against the budget, and based on the already announced votes against, the document will be rejected.

The SDP won the expected regional elections on May 26 with 19 deputies elected, leaving it five terms short of achieving an absolute majority.

The PS elected 11 deputies, the AKP nine, Chega four and SDS-PP two, while IL and PAN elected one deputy each.

The SDP signed a parliamentary agreement with the centrists after the elections, but still did not win an absolute majority.

The early elections in Madeira came eight months after the previous regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic dissolved Madeira’s parliament following a political crisis triggered in January when Social Democrat Miguel Albuquerque was appointed president of the executive. accused in a case of alleged corruption.

The PS and JPP announced an agreement to remove the PSD from power (despite the fact that they also did not receive an absolute majority), but Miguel Albuquerque was again appointed head of the regional government.