The National Institute for Emergency Medical Services (INEM) ensured that Thursday’s strike did not cause “relevant disruptions” in the care of the population, arguing that firefighters and the Portuguese Red Cross are also involved in the system.
“So far, there are no relevant violations in the system of emergency medical response as a result of the strike, and assistance to the population is provided throughout this network, which involves more than 600 funds,” INEM told Lusa.
The institute’s response follows a complaint filed this Thursday morning by the Union of Prehospital Emergency Technicians (STEPH) that several ambulances were stopped in various regions of the country due to a national day of protest. .
The institute stressed that the Integrated Emergency Medical Assistance System (SIEM) consists not only of INEM’s own funds, but also of firefighters and the Portuguese Red Cross, which “work according to complementary logic.”
According to STEPH President Rui Lazaro, the stoppage of the ambulances was due to the fact that INEM did not specify “workers who must perform minimum services” during the day this Thursday.
“The collective bargaining agreement says which services should work, but it doesn’t say which workers should perform minimum services. This should be done either by the union, [o que não aconteceu] or by the employer,” the union leader explained, adding: “The union did not indicate, and as INEM forgot, there are ambulances stopped.”
According to the institute, minimum service compliance is stipulated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, ensuring that INEM facilities have a number of workers equal to the number on the night shift schedule at the approved time on the strike date.
“Since there was no definition of workers by trade unions, and again under the Collective Agreement, services are provided by previously scheduled workers, as was always done at the institute during previous strikes called by this trade union structure,” INEM also put forward.
This Thursday, the CGTP held a national day of protest with strikes and demonstrations in various parts of the country for higher wages and pensions, against the rise in the cost of living and for the right to work.