The National Federation of Doctors (Fnam) and the Independent Union of Doctors (SIM) disagreed this Thursday in what could be the last negotiating meeting with the guardianship authority, to which SIM makes a new proposal.
On the day of a new meeting with Health Minister Manuel Pizarro, SIM proposed an interim agreement with a 15% salary increase for all doctors in 2024, an intermediate value between what the government proposed and what was announced.
At the entrance to the Ministry of Health in Lisbon, the President of the FNAM, with whom SIM had previously made a joint counter-proposal, reacted by declaring that the Federation would not abandon the package of measures, which provides, in addition to a 30% increase in wages, the replacement of 35 hours of weekly work, 12 emergency hours work and replacement of vacation days.
“We are ready to discuss the issue of phasing during 2024, since we realized that the entire package will not be applicable in January,” Joana Bordalo i Sá said.
In fact, this has been the position of the two trade union organizations over the past few months. “Given all the responsibility that doctors bear and our degree of differentiation, this is just a replacement for what we have lost. We are not asking for more,” the union leader insisted.
Regarding the SIM, Jorge Roque da Cunha explained that, given the current political scenario, the proposal sent today to the Minister of Health represents an attempt to join forces so that at least some agreement is possible until the government a new government will come.
“On our part there is a desire to come to an agreement. If nothing is done until the next government is able to negotiate with doctors, it will be much worse,” emphasized Jorge Roque da Cunha, believing that “15% is better than 0%.”
Anticipating that this could be the last negotiating meeting with the current outgoing government, the SIM president said that the target was still a 30 percent increase and that the proposal now presented targets for an “interim increase.” “We will sort out the rest with the next government,” he added.
Fnam’s Joana Bordalo e Sa said she did not have high hopes but reiterated her readiness for an agreement that would benefit doctors and the National Health Service (SNS).
“We carry out our work with the utmost responsibility and hope to find the same – competence and responsibility – on the other side. Because this is not just a matter for doctors. This is a matter for the National Health Service,” he stressed.
Taking into account the hypothesis that no consensus has been reached today, the FNAM does not rule out further strikes – a topic that will be discussed on Saturday by the National Council.
The SIM president, on the other hand, said that no new strikes are being considered either now or during the election period.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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